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CREVE  AU   LANgON. 


{P-igc  70. 


il! 


THE 


ATLANTIC   ISLANDS 


AS  RESORTS  OF 


HEALTH   AND    PLEASUEE 


By  S.  G.  W.  benjamin, 

AUTHOR    OF   "contemporary    ART    IN    EUROPE,"    ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


"Summer  isles  of  Eden  lying  in  dark-purple  spheres  of  sea. " — Tknntson. 

"O,  health  !   health  !  —  the  blessing  of  the  rich,  the  riches  of  the  poor  !  who  can  buy  thee  at  too  dear 
rate,  since  there  is  no  enjoying  this  world  without  thee. "— Jonson. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN    SQUARE. 

1878. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1878,  by 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 

In   the  Office   of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  work  on  the  islands  of  the  North  Atlantic  has  been  prepared 
with  the  hope  that  it  will  meet  a  growing  want  of  the  travelling 
public.  These  islands,  for  the  best  reasons  in  the  world,  are  becoming 
more  and  more  the  resort  of  the  invalid  and  the  pleasure-seeker.  But,  up 
to  this  time,  no  guide-book  has  existed  giving  a  comparative  and  compre- 
hensive statement  of  the  advantages  of  such  islands,  whether  as  summer 
or  winter  resorts. 

No  islands  are  included  in  these  pages  except  such  as  are  free  from  the 
visitations  of  yellow  fever  or  persistent  malarial  and  zymotic  epidemics. 
Great  care  has  also  been  taken  to  obtain  the  fullest  and  most  correct  san- 
itary statistics  on  the  subject,  in  which  the  author  has  perhaps  been  assisted 
by  his  interest  in  medical  topics.  Official  documents  and  data  have  been 
consulted,  and  the  opinions  of  the  ablest  resident  physicians  have  been 
received  and  compared.  And  in  ever}-  instance,  regarding  all  points  of 
information,  the  writer  has  gathered  his  facts  from  careful  personal  obser- 
vation or  from  the  highest  authorities. 

As  all  of  these  islands  have  been  recently  visited  by  him,  he  has  thought 
lit  to  leave  the  description  of  them  in  their  original  narrative  form,  as  he 
saw  all  the  important  places  mentioned,  while  the  book  may  thus  perhaps 
be  rendered  more  atti-active  to  the  general  reader  by  the  introduction  of 
incidents  of  travel  and  adventure. 

The  Appendix,  although  placed  at  the  end,  really  contains  the  pith 
of  the  book.  It  is  intended  to  convey  copious  information  regarding 
the  attractions  of  each  island  for  both  invalids  and  sportsmen,  sanitary 


8  PREFACE. 

statistics,  the  means  for  reacliing  these  resorts,  and  the  hotels  and  ex- 
penses of  living.  The  islands  are  there  distinctly  classified  in  the  order 
of  their  respective  advantages,  without  bias  or  prejudice.  It  may  be  that 
one  or  two  well-known  resorts  receive  less  indiscriminate  praise  than 
has  hitherto  been  awarded  to  them,  while  other  less  known  resorts  come 
in  for  a  share  of  credit  that  may  surprise  some  who  are  ignorant  of  their 
merits.  But  the  writer  can  honestly  say  that  he  has  stated  the  facts  as 
they  appeared  to  the  best  of  his  judgment. 

The  author  avails  himself  of  this  opportunity  to  express  his  hearty 
acknowledgments  for  the  genial  hospitality,  the  many  kind  attentions,  and 
the  uniform  courtesy  he  has  met  in  his  rambles  among  the  Atlantic  Isles, 
whether  from  the  officials  of  the  local  governments,  the  consuls  of  the 
United  States  and  other  countries,  or  from  private  citizens. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  pagb 

The  Bahamas 13 

CHAPTER  11. 
The  Azores 33 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Channel  Islands 57 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Magdalen  Islands 78 

CHAPTER  Y. 
Madeira 94 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Teneriffe 121 

CHAPTER   VII. 
Newfoundland 146 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Bermudas 161 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Belleisle-en-Mer 179 


10  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER     X.  Page 

Prince  Edward   Island 188 

CHAPTER   XL 
Isles  of  Shoals 205 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Cape  Breton  Island " 222 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
The  Isle  of  Wight 234 


APPENDIX 257 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Greve  au  Lan§on Frontispiece. 

HoPETowN  Hareoe,  Abaco 13 

Government  House 15 

Old  Gdnnybags 16 

Sponge  Yard 17 

Entrance  to  Port  Nassau 19 

BlACKBEARD,  THE    PiRATE 20 

Fort  Fincastle,  Nassau 21 

The  Hermitage,  Country-seat  of  Lord 

Dunmore,  AT  Nassau 21 

RovAL  Victoria  Hotel 23 

Public  Library,  Nassau 24: 

SiLK-COTTON-TREE,    NaSSAU 2(3 

Dunmore  Town 28 

Glass  Windows 30 

Street  in  Nassau 32 

Azores,  or  Western  Isles 34 

Flores  Cart  and  Peasant  Hut 37 

Pico,  FROM  Fayal 38 

Pico  Peak,  from  Fayal 39 

The  Pico  Ferry 41 

Market-day  in  Fayal 47 

Hospital  of  Villafranca  do  Campo 49 

Jetty  of  Ponta  Delgada,  St.  Michael.  51 

A  St.  Michael  Wagon 53 

The  Channel  Islands 57 

St.  Peter's  Port,  Guernsey 58 

Monument  to  Prince  Albert,  Guernsey  59 
Market-place    at    St.   Peter's    Port, 

Guernsey 60 

Children  Begging  for  "Doubles" 61 

Dolmen  and  Martello  Tower,  Guernsey  (>2 
Hauteville,  Victor  Hugos  late  Resi- 
dence IN  Guernsey 64 

Guard -house    described   in   '"Toilers 

OF  THE  Sea" 65 

The  Corbiere  and  Light-house,  Jersey  66 

Mount  Orgueil  Castle,  Jersey 68 

The  Pinnacle,  Jersey 69 


Page 

St.  Brelade's  Church,  Jersey 70 

Vraicking 71 

Crbux  Harbor,  Sark 72 

Entrance  to  the  Creux  Landing-place, 

Sark 73 

The  Autelets,  Sark 74 

Creux  du  Derrible,  Sark 75 

Natural  Bridge,  Pont-du-Moulin,  Sauk  76 

Seigneur's   House,  Sark 77 

Sand  Dunes  and  Wrecks  between  Am- 
herst AND  Grindstone  Islands 79 

The  Magdalen  Islands 80 

Amherst,  looking  toward  Demoiselle 

Hill 81 

Landing  on  Entry  Island 82 

Old  Man  and  Old  Woman 83 

Dragging  the  Hull  of  a  Schooner  to 

THE  Beach 85 

Through  the  Surf 86 

Port  and  Village  of  Etang  du  Nord, 

Grindstone  Island 87 

Cap  au  Meule  and  Wreck,  Grindstone 

Island 89 

Part  of  Cape  Alright 90 

The  Serene  Joseph 91 

The  Madeira  Islands 95 

Funchal  Harbor  and  Brazen  Head...  96 

Loo  Rock 97 

The  Sledge-hack.... 99 

The  Mountain  Sled 101 

Church  of  Nostra  Senhora  do  Moxte  103 

Hammock-riding  in  Madeira 107 

Village  of  Cama  do  Lobos 109 

A    THRESHING-FLOOlt HO 

A  Grist-mill HI 

Peasants'  Hut  and  Peasants 115 

Penha  D'Aguia 117 

Plaza  de  la  Constitucion,  Santa  Ckuz  121 
The  Canary  Islands 122 


12 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 

Teneriffe 123 

Spanish  Senorita 124: 

The  Fostigo 125 

Milk-venders 126 

Camels  and  CocHiNiiAL-CARiuERs 128 

Group  of  Chuzas,  or  Huts,  near  La- 
cuna   12'J 

Teneriffe  Costume 130 

GuANCiiE  Mummies  at  Tacaronte 131 

City  of  San  Juan,  Orotava 133 

Dragon-tree  as  it  was 134 

Botanic  Gardens,  Orotava 135 

View  of  the  Peak  from  Orotava 137 

Peasant  Spinning 138 

A  Peasant-woman  op  Icod 131) 

Peak    of  Teneriffe,  as    seen    on   ap- 
proaching the  Large  Crater 141 

Costume  op  Peasant 144 

The  Spout  off  Cape  Broyle 147 

Entrance  to  the  Harbor  of  St.  Johns  149 

Ascent  to  a  "Flake" 151 

Cape  Ray. — Telegraph  House 153 

St.  Johns,  from  Signal  Hill 155 

Cleaning  Fish 157 

The  Bermudas 101 

CURA    AND    THE    BaHAMA    ISLANDS 1(;2 

Hamilton,  Bermudas 1(13 

Floating-dock 1(J5 

Trinity  Church,  Hamilton IGG 

Moore's  Calabash-tree 1(>7 

View  prom  Light-house KJS 

Cottage  and  Garden  in  Hamilton 109 

A   Street    Scene    in    Hamilton  —  The 

Wharf 170 

A  Street  Scene  in  St.  George's 171 

The  Devil's  Hole 172 

Caves  on  the  Coast 173 

Ravine  on  South  Shore,  Bermuda 174 

Pitts  Bay 175 

India-rubber-tree 177 

Fish-womkn  of  the  Morbihan 179 

Caesar's  Table,  or  Table  of  the  Mer- 
chants, Locmariaquer 180 

Le  Palais,  Belleisle 182 

Peasant-girl,  Belleisle 180 

Sambro'  Light. — Entrance  to  Halifax 

Harbor 188 

Entrance  to  Strait  of  Canso 189 

Halifax,  from  the  Citadel 190 

Light  -  house.  —  Entrance    to    Pictou 

Port 191 

Government  House,  Charlottetown...  192 
Methodist  Church  and  Part  of  Char- 
lottetoavn — East  River  in  the  Dis- 
tance   193 


Pagk 
Avenue  leading  to  Government  House  194 

Market  Building,  Charlottetown 195 

Carrying  the  Mails  across  Northum- 
berland Strait  in  Winter 197 

Scene  on  Hunter  River 198 

Fish  -  house  and  Stage,  and  Fishing- 
boats,  RusTico 199 

Fishing -boats  beating  into  Rustico 
Harbor,  between  the  Bar  and  the 
Spit:  Bathing -house  in  the  Fore- 
ground   200 

Fishing  Party 201 

Shag  and  Mingo  Rocks,  Duck  Island.  205 

Isles  of  Shoals 206 

Whale's-back  Light 208 

Duck  Island,  from  Appledore 210 

Laighton's  Grave 211 

South-east  End  op  Appledore,  look- 
ing South 212 

Haley's  Dock  and  Homestead 213 

Ledge  op  Rocks,  Haleys  Island 214 

Smutty  Nose 215 

Old  Church,  Star  Island 216 

Captain  John  Smith's  Monument,  Star 

Island 217 

Gorge,  Star  Island 218 

White  Island  Light 218 

Cliffs,  White  Island 219 

Covered  Walk  and  Light-house,  White 

Island 220 

Londoner,  from  Star  Island 221 

Fishermen  Cruising 223 

Tall  Fishing 225 

Riding  out  a  North-easter 227 

The  Micmac  Indians 228 

One  of  the  Fisherman's  Perils 229 

Taking  a  Sight 232 

Isle  of  Wight 234 

Ryde 235 

Grave  of  the  Young  Cottagkr 237 

Legh  Richmond 238 

John  Wilkes 239 

SiiANKLiN  Chine 240 

Ventnor,  from  Pulpit  Rock 241 

The  Natural  Enemy 243 

BoNCHURCH ■. 244 

The  Well  op  St.  Lawrence 245 

A  Ckab-nitoner 240 

Black  Gang  Chine 247 

Faringford,  the  Residence  op  Alfred 

Tennyson 248 

Scratchkll's  Bay 249 

Tomb  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth 251 

Carisbrooke  Castle 252 

Osborne 254 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS; 

AS  RESORTS  FOR 

HEALTH  AND  PLEASURE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE     BAHAMAS. 

WE  had  been  heading  sonthward  in  the  steamer  City  of  Me  ri  da  for 
two  days,  followed  by  raw  northerly  winds,  when  the  wind  suddenly 
shifted  to  the  south.  The  change  in  the  temperature  was  magical.  Over- 
coats were  thrown  aside  at  once,  and  all  hands  were  called  aft  to  spread 
the  awning;  the  waves  went  down,  the  clouds  disappeared,  the  cold  gray 
color  of  the  sea  turned  to  azure,  and  every  breath  of  the  "  sweet  south  " 
seemed  to  sing  a  welcome  to  enchanted  isles  where  reigns  perpetual  sum- 
mer. On  the  fourth  night  we  passed  the  Elbow  Light,  on  the  north-east 
angle  of  Abaco,  and  sighted  Hole-in-tlie-Wall  at  midnight.  Many  of  ns 
also  now  saw  for  the  first  time  the  Southern  Cross  gleaming  over  the  bow, 
while  the  North  Star  and  the  Bear  were  still  visible  on  the  quarter.  At 
dawn  a  long,  low  line  of  green  keys  lay  abeam,  and  soon  we  saw  the 
graceful  groves  of  cocoa  and  the  spires  of  Nassau  gleaming  in  the  sun, 
now  rising  in  a  cloudless  sk}^  The  vessel  drew  too  much  water  to  go 
over  the  bar,  and  therefore  came  to  anchor  outside  of  the  light-house  at 


14  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

the  western  end  of  Hog  Island,  a  beautiful  coral  islet  three  miles  long, 
which,  by  furnishing  a  breakwater  cheaper  and  safer  than  that  of  Plym- 
outh or  Cherbourg,  enables  Nassau  to  claim  the  best  port  in  the  Baha- 
mas. Boats  of  all  descriptions  darted  from  the  shore,  manned  by  negroes, 
presenting  sometimes  a  diverting  variety  of  raggedness  in  the  slender 
wardrobe  prescribed  by  conventional  propriety  rather  than  by  any  need 
of  protection  against  the  weather.  As  we  rowed  in  over  the  bar  the  first 
object  to  attract  our  attention  was  the  absolute  clearness  of  the  water — 
hyaline,  as  a  poet  might  truthfully  call  it — which  enables  the  eye  to  see 
everything  on  the  white  sand  bottom,  and  the  vivid,  almost  dazzling,  green 
hue  of  the  surface,  mottled  with  varied  tints  of  the  same  color,  giving 
exactly  the  appearance  of  polished  malachite.  On  landing,  amidst  a  hub- 
bub of  negroes,  we  found  the  streets  of  almost  snowy  whiteness,  intensified 
by  the  glare  of  the  white  walls,  so  that  straw  hats  and  shade  umbrellas 
were  at  once  called  into  requisition.  One  very  soon  gets  accustomed  to 
this,  however,  and  the  effect  could  be  greatly  modified  if  the  worthy  citi- 
zens would  only  content  themselves  with  lower  walls  around  their  gardens, 
or  would  color  those  they  have  with  some  sober  gray.  This  is  evident 
when  one  rides  out  beyond  the  (;ity,  where  the  roads  are  of  precisely  the 
same  character,  but  much  more  tolerable,  because  lined  with  verdure  in- 
stead of  staring  white  walls. 

It  was  a  charmino-  transition  from  the  olare  of  the  streets  to  the  cool, 
spacious  verandas  of  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  which  occupies  noble 
grounds  on  an  elevated  position  commanding  a  superb  prospect  over  the 
city,  the  harbor,  and  the  ocean  beyond  ;  and  a  breakfast  of  turtle  steak, 
chocolate,  and  tropical  fruits  freshlj'  plucked,  reminded  us  again  that  for 
a  while  at  least  we  were  free  from  the  furnace-heated  prison-houses  of  the 
North,  and  the  icy,  capricious,  penetrating  winds  of  our  Northern  spring, 
if  it  is  not  a  misnomer  to  call  it  spring. 

Nassau  is  not  only  the  chief  town  of  the  island  of  New  Frovidence,  but 
also  the  capital  of  the  Bahamas.  There  the  Legislature  meets  and  the 
governor  resides.  The  Government  House  is  pleasantly  situated,  and  tlie 
approach  to  it  is  appropriately  adorned  by  a  colossal  statue  of  Christopher 
Columbus.  The  Legislature  is  elected  once  in  seven  years,  and  generally 
includes  several  colored  members.  The  black  population  largely  predomi- 
nates, for  not  only  did  the  early  settlers  own  slaves,  but  many  cargoes  of 
captured  slavers  were  taken  to  Nassau  and  left  there  to  shift  for  them- 
selves. The  aboriginal  race  of  the  Bahamas  is  now  entirely  extinct.  The 
negroes  are  generally  tall  and  well  formed,  and  very  civil  in  their  de- 
meanor, and  great  crimes  are  uncommon  among  them.     Theft  and  licen- 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


15 


tiousiiess  are  their  chief  "  irregularities."  It  is  creditable  to  the  people 
that  the  spacious  and  haudsome  prison  recently  constructed  at  Iiigh  cost 
is  half  emptA',  which  gave  the  jailer  a  curious  uneasiness,  because,  as  he 
said  to  me,  he  had  a  piece  of  road-mending  to  be  done  in  the  broiling 
sun  of  mid-da}^  and  the  number  of  criminals  under  his  charge  was  not 
equal  to  completing  it  within  a  given  time !  The  old  prison,  a  rather 
picturesque  building  resembling  a  mosque,  is  now  turned  into  a  public 
library;  the  cells,  once  filled  with  pirates  and  boozy  blockade -runners, 
now  form  the  alcoves  of  a  very  well-arranged  library,  stocked  with  some 
six  thousand  volumes,  generally  well  selected,  and  open  to  the  use  of  the 


GOVERNMENT    HOUSE. 


public.     As  this  institution  is  near  the  hotel,  it  is  of  great  advantage  to 
strangers  sojourning  on  the  island. 

Some  of  the  mulattoes  display  considerable  talent  as  artisans.  The 
shell-work  they  produce  shows  exquisite  taste  and  skill;  and  Bethel,  the 
best  ship-builder  of  the  group — and  a  very  clever  man  he  is,  too — is  of 
the  colored  persuasion.  Captain  Stuart,  M^ho  commands  the  light-house 
and  revenue  schooner,  is  a  man  of  commanding  appearance  and  marked 
intelligence,  and  is  regarded  by  the  negroes  of  Nassau  as  "  a  sort  of  god 


16 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


round  heah,"  as  they  phrase  it,  because  he  foretold  the  great  hurricane 
of  1866.  Tlie  colored  people  of  Nassau  are  much  addicted  to  church- 
going,  and  it  is  pleasant  of  a  calm  evening  to  hear  the  singing  from  the 
churches  all  over  the  town.     Poppy  Kumer,  as  he  is  familiarly  called, 

a  quaint,  unique  character,  is  their 
most  noted  preacher,  and  many  of 
his   curious   sayings   and  eccentrici- 
ties are  current.     He  is,  in  addition, 
a  man  possessed  of  intellectual  pow- 
er, and  is  thoroughly  in  earnest.    Old 
Gunnybags  is  another  noted  charac- 
ter of  Nassau,  a  modern  Diogenes, 
who  takes  up  his  residence  in  Grants- 
town,  the    suburb    affected    by    the 
black  gentry.     The  old  fellow,  not 
to  speak  disrespectfully  of  him,  was 
crossed  in  love  in  his  earlier  days,  it 
is  said,  since  which  melancholy  event 
he  has  W'Orn  a  suit  of  gunny  bags  of 
a  fashion  not  borrowed  from  Paris, 
and  has  slept  in  a  hogshead  laid  on, 
its  side  under  a  wall  by  the  wayside ; 
owing  to  the  narrowness  of  his  quar- 
ters and  the  heat  of  the  climate,  he 
cooks  his  meals  in  the  open  air.     A 
little    beyond    Grantstown    are    the 
places  called  Jericho  and  Jericho-beyond-Jordan,  which  show  what  thrift 
the  negro  can  display  on  occasion. 

As  a  class,  however,  the  negroes  of  the  Bahamas  are  far  more  supersti- 
tious than  religious.  They  are  great  cowards  at  night,  shutting  up  their 
cabins  tight  as  a  drum  to  keep  out  the  wandering  powers  of  darkness. 
Although  the  fact  is  resented  by  many  of  the  most  intelligent  colored 
residents,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  more  ignorant  negroes  of  these  islands 
entertain  an  almost  incredible  belief  in  fetichism.  The  obeah men  drive 
a  thriving  business,  and  it  is  seldom  a  sponging-boat  goes  to  sea  without 
first  enlisting  the  valuable  aid  of  the  man-witch  or  warlock.  They  are 
said  to  be  lazy,  and  certainly  they  seem  to  take  life  very  easily,  lying  on 
the  ground  sometimes  for  hours  under  the  full  blaze  of  tlie  noonday  sun, 
chewing  the  end  of  a  sugar-cane,  or  brawling  in  grandiloquent  and  often 
meaninsless  rodomontade  at  the  street  corners.     But  there  is  little  need 


..L.\N\iiAt.b. 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


17 


of  exertion  when  it  takes  so  little  to  supply  their  iuiniediate  wants.  A 
recent  pastoral  of  one  of  the  ritualistic  priests,  giving  directions  for  the 
observance  of  Lent,  created  "inextinguishable  laughter"  in  Nassau,  for, 
among  other  ordinances,  it  forbade  the  eating  of  sugar.  As  sugar-cane 
forms  a  staple  article  of  food  with  the  negroes,  a  strict  observance  of 
his  directions  would  have  been  followed  by  lamentable  results.  But  I 
think  the  charge  of  laziness  unfounded,  if  one  but  considers  the  severe 
labor  the  negroes  often  accomplish,  as,  for  example,  in  the  sponge  fishery, 
which  gives  employment  to  the  owners  and  crews  of  five  hundred  licensed 
craft  of  ten  to  twenty-five  tons  burden,  and  is  carried  on  with  some  risk 
from  the  weather,  and  much  hardship,  for  the  sponges  are  two  or  three 
fathoms  below  tiie  surface,  and  must  be  torn  from  the  rocks  with  hooks 
attached  to  long  poles.  The  positioti  of  the  sponges  is  ascertained  by 
means  of  a  water-glass,  which  is  a  simple  oblong  box  a  foot  square,  open 
at  the  upper  end,  and  containing  a  pane  of  glass  at  the  other;  on  holding 
this  perpendicularly  over  the  water  one  can  see  everything  through  it  as 
clearly  as  in  an  aquarimn — fish,  sponges,  coral,  or  shells.     The  Bahama 


SPONGE     YARD. 


sponges  are  chiefly  of  four  sorts — sheep-wool  (which  is  the  most  valuable), 
reef,  velvet,  and  glove;  and,  although  inferior  to  the  finest  Mediterranean 
sponges,  are  very  strong,  and  serviceable  for  washing  carriages,  surgery, 
and   the  like.     The  sponge -boats   usually  get  in  on   Saturday,  and  the 

9 


18  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

sponges  are  assorted  in  tlie  markets,  each  boat-load  and  variety  bj-  itself. 
On  Monday  they  are  disposed  of  at  auction,  only  members  of  the  sponge 
guild  and  those  making  genuine  offers  being  permitted  to  bid,  which  is 
done  by  written  tenders. 

Talking  aloud  to  themselves  is  another  trait  peculiar  to  the  negroes 
of  the  Bahamas.  As  a  p)roof  of  their  love  for  large -sounding  phrases 
alluded  to  above,  which  are  often  used  without  the  slightest  idea  of  their 
meaning,  I  give  here  a  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  a  soldier  of  one  of  the 
native  regiments,  addressed  to  his  physician,  who  kindly  placed  it  at  my 
disposal,  selecting  it  at  random  from  a  number  of  similar  precious  doc- 
uments he  had  received : 

■  "Feb.  23,  18 7-. 

"Sir, — I  thy  most  worthy  servant,  have  the  honour,  at  this  time,  to  im- 
])lore  and  beseeche  thee,  this  2d  time  to  Pore  this  thy  patient  and  impen- 
itent hand  Maid,  for  although  it  has  pleased  the  Almighty  to  deal  thus 
with  her,  as  she  at  present  is,  still  i  ti'ust  that  it  may  please  him  also  to 
release  her,  out  of  her  present  pains  and  sufferings,  to  her  former  position 
again.  And  we  trust  that  his  Never  failing  providence  may  and  will  sup- 
port thee  to  listen  to  the  Tortures  and  cries  of  the  Afflicted,  for  his  mer- 
cies sake.  Sir  the  present  positions  of  thy  penitent  hand  Maid  is  thus,  a 
severe  and  Protruberance  pain  in  the  back,  and  a  cough  in  proportion  to 
the  pain  in  the  back,  and  a  pain  in  the  stomach  in  proportion  to  the  cough, 
and  a  standing  weakness,  and  a  stubborn  faintiness,  with  restlessness  day 
and  night,  and  Sir  she  stands  at  present  in  need  of  a  good  proportion  of 
blood,  for  Sir  she  loose  a  good  set,  before  she  came  to  thee  the  first  time. 
For  Sir,  she  was  losing  it  from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  which  was  eight  days, 
and  it  began  to  abate  on  the  ninth  day.  And  Sir  by  the  help  of  God  and 
thy  assistance,  I  implore  thee  to  try  for  her  for 

"  I  am  thy  humble  Servant." 

"Wrecking  is  another  branch  of  business  for  which  the  Bahamas  have 
long  been  famous,  owing  to  their  intricate  navigation.  At  one  time  this 
M'as  very  lucrative,  but  it  has  been  falling  off  of  late  years.  Formerly 
everything  saved  from  a  wi-eck  was  sold  at  auction  in  Nassau ;  now  all 
goods  not  of  a  perishable  nature,  and  undamaged,  are  reshipped  to  the 
port  of  destination.  Collusion  between  ship -masters  and  the  pilots  was 
also  frequent;  but  increased> vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  insurance  com- 
panies has  interfered  with  this  nefarious  business,  while  the  numerous 
light-houses  recently  erected  by  the  Government,  with  noble  self-sacrifice, 
have  operated  in  the  same  direction.     The  uncertainties  attending  money- 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


19 


making  in  this  precarions  way  have  their  effect  on  the  cliaractei*  of  the 
people,  as  is  the  case  when  the  element  of  chance  enters  largely  into  busi- 
ness; the  pi-izes  in  the  lottery  are  few,  but  are  occasionally  so  largo  as  to 
excite  undue  expectations,  and  thus  unfit  many  for  any  pursuit  more  steady 
but  less  exciting.  For  months  they  will  cruise  around,  watching  and  hoj)- 
ing,  and  barely  kept  alive  on  a  scant  supply  of  sugar-cane  and  conchs: 
then  they  fall  in  with  a  wreck,  and  make  enough  from  it,  perhaps,  to 
keep  them  going  another  year.  It  is  not  a  healthy  or  desiral)le  state  of 
affairs. 

One  Sunday  morning  a  commotion  arose  quite  unusual  in  the  uncom- 


l.NTltANCE    TO     PORT    NASSAU. 


monly  quiet  and  orderly  streets  of  Nassau.  There  was  hurrying  to  and 
fro,  and  the  sound  of  voices  shrill  and  rapid  indicated  some  sudden  and 
extraordinary  excitement.  The  wharves  of  the  little  port  were  thronged 
and  positively  black  with  eager  negroes,  and  great  activity  was  noticeable 
among  the  sloops  and  schooners.  Some  were  discharging  their  cargoes 
of  sponges,  shells,  fish,  and  cattle  in  hot  haste;  others  were  provisioning 
or  setting  np  their  rigging;  others  again  were  expeditiously  hoisting  their 
sails  and  heaving  up  their  anchors;  while  the  crews,  black  and  white, 
sung  songs  in  merry  chorus,  as  if  under  the  influence  of  great  and  good 
tidings.  What  could  it  all  mean?  It  meant  this:  another  vein  in  the 
Bahama  gold  mines  had  been  struck,  another  lead  discovered,  and  the 
miners  were  off  to  develop  it,  each  hoping  to  be  the  lucky  one  to  turn  out 
the  largest  nugget,  and  to  retire  on  it  for  life.  In  other  words,  news  had 
just  been  brought  of  the  wreck  of  a  Spanish  vessel  on  the  Lavadeiros 
Shoal,  one  hundi'ed  and  fifty  miles  away.     She  was  none  of  your  wretched 


20 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


colliers  or  fruiters,  with  a  cargo  valueless  to  wreckers,  but  a  ship  whose 
hold  from  keelson  to  deck  beams  was  packed  with  a  thousand  tons  of 
choice  silks  and  stuffs  for  the  black-eyed  brunettes  of  Havana,  just  enough 
damaged  to  oblige  them  to  be  sold  at  auction  in  Nassau,  where  all  goods 
wrecked  in  that  archipelago  must  be  brought  for  adjudication.  Verily,  we 
thought,  "  it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  any  good  ;"  the  misfortune 
which  has  -wrung  the  soul  and  perhaps  ruined  the  happiness  of  two  or 
three  in  far-off  lands  has  made  glad  the  hearts  of  several  thousand  dark- 
ies, raulattoes,  and  whites  in  the  Bahamas.  Here  is  a  text  for  La  Roche- 
foucauld, the  modern  cynic. 

The  manufacture  and  exportation  of  salt  have  also  been  among  the 
most  lucrative  pursuits  of  the  islands.  With  the  single  exception  of  Andros 
Island,  which  seems  to  be  still  in  a  formative  state,  there  is  not  a  fresh- 
water lake  or  stream  in  the  whole 
group;  but  lakes  of  some  size,  contain- 
ing more  or  less  salt,  are  found  on 
many  of  the  islands.  Vast  quantities 
of  salt  have  been  made  at  Exuma, 
Long  Island,  Rose  Island,  Inagua,  and 
Turk's  Island.  The  latter  is  now  un- 
der the  jurisdiction  of  Jamaica,  and 
the  production  of  salt  at  the  other  isl- 
ands is  at  present  in  a  very  languish- 
ing condition,  the  result  of  the  high 
duties  imposed  by  our  Government 
on  the  article,  which  act  in  two  ways, 
like  a  two-edged  sword,  forcing  our 
people  to  pay  a  higher  price  than  they 
otlierwise  would  for  what  salt  they 
consume,  and  effectuallj'  crippling  one  of  the  most  important  trades  of 
the  West  Indies. 

But  the  branches  of  business  which  in  past  years  have  brought  most 
wealth  into  Nassau  have  been  buccaneering,  privateering,  and  blockade- 
running.  The  buccaneers  were  at  one  time  in  liigli  feather  there;  they 
bought  up  or  captured  the  governors,  toasted  and  roasted  the  people  when 
recalcitrant,  and,  hiding  behind  the  low  keys  in  their  little  vessels,  sprung 
out,  spider -like,  on  any  unwary  trader  quietly  sailing  by.  Blackbeard, 
wlio  is  represented  in  the  cut  given  above,  from  an  old  print,  was  the 
most  celebi'ated  of  the  ruffian  chiefs  wlio  at  various  times  ruled  over  these 
islands.     An  immense  silk-cotton-tree  stood  until  within  a  few  years  on 


BLACKBEARD,   THE     PIRATE. 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


21 


Bay   Street,  in  Nassau,  under  the   broad  brandies   of  which  he  admin- 
istered high-handed  justice,  and  caroused  with  liis  harridan  dames.     He 
was  finally  killed  off  the  coast  of  South  Carolina  in  a  desperate  fight,  and 
the  land  had  rest  for  certain  years, 
tlie  escutcheon  of  the  colony  bearing 
since  that  time  the  significant  legend, 
'■'■Kxpulsis  j>iratis,  restituta  commer- 
cial 

After  the  pirates  came  the  pri- 
vateers of  the  Revolution.  Fincastle 
(Lord  Dunmore),  when  he  left  Vir- 
ginia, settled  in  tlie  Bahamas, of  which 
lie  was  appointed  governor,  and  lie  °| 
was  followed  by  many  Tories,  Al- 
though not  a  great  man,  his  is  one  of 
the  most  noted  names  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  Bahamas.  Traces  of 
his  administration  still  exist  in  many 
places.  There  is  a  quaint  fort  named  Fincastle  behind  the  Victoria  Hotel, 
curiously  resembling  a  paddle-box  steamer ;  and  the  country-seat  where 
lie  resided,  now  called  the  Hermitage,  is  still  standing  by  the  water,  ad- 
mirably situated,  surrounded  by  a  noble  grove  of  oaks  and  cocoa-palms. 
Royal  Island,  having  a  snug  little  harbor  easy  of  access,  was  a  rendezvous 
where  arms  and  stores  were  concealed,  and  royalist  privateers  made  it  a 
common  resort  during  the  American  Revolution.  An  old  stone  house  still 
remains  there  which  has  doubtless  witnessed  many  wild,  mysterious  scenes 
in  days  gone  by. 


FOnT     FINCASTLE,    NASSAU. 


TUE     UEKMITAGE,    COUNTBY-SEAT     OF     LOiU)    DUNilOlli:,    AT     NASSAU. 


32  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

We  may  add,  in  passing,  that  one  of  the  most  noted  characters  who 
ever  figured  in  Nassau  was  Blennerhasset,  notorious  for  his  rehitions 
with  Aaron  Burr.  It  will  be  remembered  that  after  the  excitement  pro- 
duced by  the  trial  had  blown  over,  Blennerhasset  passed  off  the  scene ; 
but  Blennerhasset  still  lived.  There  is  excellent  authority  for  stating  that 
the  Bahamas,  a  refuge  for  so  many  rovers  and  adventurers,  gave  him  a 
shelter  during  some  of  the  remaining  years  of  his  life.  Leaving  his  wife 
(whom  the  classic  oration  of  Wirt  has  made  famous)  to  care  for  herself, 
he  there  assumed  the  name  of  Carr,  and  received  the  position  of  Attorney- 
o-eneral.  The  seci-et  was  known  to  but  few.  Another  wife  consoled  him 
for  the  absence  of  Mrs.  Blennerhasset,  who  once  discovered  his  retreat, 
but  was  spirited  out  of  the  island,  and  maintained  elsewhere  on  a  sep- 
arate allowance.  Those  were  roistering  days,  when  gentlemen  drank  hard, 
played  high,  and  fought  duels  like  devils — days  now  fortunately  passed, 
it  is  hoped,  forever,  at  least  in  Nassau — and  Blennerhasset  acted  his  role 
well,  by  no  means  a  looker-on  in  Vienna. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  most  remarkable  episode  in  the  history  of 
tlie  Bahamas,  the  part  they  played  in  tlie  Southern  rebellion,  about  which 
a  volume  of  entertaining  information  could  be  written.  On  the  5th  of 
December,  1861,  the  first  Confederate  vessel  ai-rived  from  Charleston, 
witli  144  bales  of  cotton ;  and  between  that  time  and  the  close  of  the 
war  397  vessels  entei-ed  Nassau  from  Confederate  ports,  and  588  sailed 
tlience  for  Southern  ports.  Of  tliese  the  steamers  were  to  tlie  sailing  ves- 
sels in  tlie  ratio  of  three  to  one.  Of  the  cleaiances  432  were  ostensibly 
for  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  and  of  the  total  number  only  thirty-two 
carried  the  Confederate  flag — a  pretty  fair  indication  of  the  amount  of 
complicity  practised  about  that  time  by  Her  Majesty's  subjects  and  officials 
in  Nassau,  and  of  the  value  of  the  British  capital  engaged  in  this  ques- 
tionable traffic.  In  nothing  was  this  connivance  on  the  part  of  a  neutral 
power  moi-e  evident  than  in  the  case  of  the  Florida^  or  Oreto^  which  was 
three  times  seized  by  the  commander  of  the  British  inan-of-war  Bull-doy, 
and  three  times  released  by  the  decision  of  the  insular  Admiralty  Court 
on  grounds  afterward  wisely  disavowed  by  the  Home  Government. 

During  the  Confederate  years  the  little  town  actually  swarmed  with 
Southern  refugees,  the  captains  and  crews  of  blockade -runners,  cotton- 
brokei's,  rum-sellers,  Jews  and  Gentiles  of  high  and  low  degree,  coining 
monej'  and  squandering  it  as  if  they  owned  the  secret  of  the  transmuta- 
tion of  metals.  They  played  toss-penny  in  the  verandas  of  the  Royal  Vi(;- 
toria  Hotel  with  gold  eagles!  The  shops  were  packed  to  the  ceilings; 
the  streets  were  crowded  with  bales,  boxes,  and  barrels — cotton  coming  in. 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


23 


Confederate  uniforms  and  pills  of  lead  and  quinine,  to  pepper  patriots 
and  patients,  going  out.  Sennnes  and  his  bold  boys  twisted  their  mus- 
taches at  every  corner,  danced  involuntary  reels  and  hornpipes  from  grog- 
irerv  to  irroo-irerv,  and  from  the  waxed  floors  of  the  Government  House, 
where  they  were  always  sure  of  a  cordial  reception,  to  the  decks  of  the 
Banshee  and  Alabama,  or  brandished  their  revolvers  in  the  faces  of  Union 
men,  whose  lives  were  too  uncertain  to  insui-e  thereabouts  in  those  rol- 
licking days.  A  spicy  little  paper  called  the  Young  Punch,  edited  by  a 
witty  Confederate  in  Nassau,  under  the  sobriquet  of  "The  Can't  Get 
Away  Club,"  gives  a  glimpse  of  the  state  of  things  then  existing,  and 
shows  that  there  was  some  real  fun  connected  with  blockade-running.     A 


KUVAL     VICTORIA    HOTEL. 


rather  grim  joke  was  played  at  the  expense  of  tlie  rebels  via  Kassau.  A 
large  invoice  of  prayer-books  was  brought  from  England  and  reshipped  to 
Charleston,  with  tlie  express  understanding  that  tliey  were  suited  to  the 
devotional  wants  of  the  Confederacy.  Quite  a  number  had  been  distrib- 
uted before  it  was  discovered  that  tlie  prayers  for  the  President  and  Con- 
o-res's  of  the  United  States  had  not  been  altered  ! 

It  is  not  a  creditable  fact  that  some  of  the  goods  smuggled  into  the 


24 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY,    NASSAU. 


Confederacy  by  way  of  Xassau  were  fi'oin  Northeni  ports,  as,  for  example, 
ship-loads  of  pistols  brought  from  Boston  in  ban-els  of  lard.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  are  many  instances  of  noble  patriotism  on  record.  The  name 
oi  Timothy  Darling,  Esq.,  is  deserving  the  honor  and  respect  of  every 
true  American.  A  native  of  Maine,  but  long  a  resident  of  Nassau,  a 
British  subject,  and  one  of  the  principal  merchants  and  politicians  of  the 
Bahamas,  he  was  more  than  once  offered  the  agency  of  the  Confedei-acy, 
and  always  firmly  declined — a  proposal  which,  as  the  event  proved,  would 
have  been  w^orth  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  him. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  war  the  weather  was  exceptionally  fine 
even  for  the  West  Indies ;  no  hurricanes,  and  but  few  gales  of  any  vio- 
lence, occurred.  Evei-ything  went  on  merry  as  a  marriage-bell,  and  the 
policies  of  vessels  clearing  for  Nassau  might  well  have  omitted  the  words 
"wind  and  weather  pei'mitting."  But  in  the  year  succeeding  th.e  fall  of 
Kichmond,  18GG,  occurred  the  most  terrible  hurricane  experienced  in  those 
watere  during  this  century.  The  ocean  rolled  completely  over  Hog  Island 
into  the  harbor  in  surges  so  enormous  that  the  crest  was  even  with  the 
gallery  of  the  light-house,  sixty  feet  al)ove  the  sea.  Houses  and  forests 
went  down  before  the  wind  like  reeds;  many  which  withstood  its  force 


THE   BAHAMAS.  25 

when  it  blew  from  noith-east  collapsed  when  it  shifted  to  sonth-west.  In 
twenty -four  hours  the  city  was  like  a  town  sacked  and  burned  by  the 
enemy,  and  a  large  part  of  the  wealth  accumulated  during  the  war  had 
disappeared  into  thin  air.  The  island  has  never  entii-ely  recovered  from 
the  blow.  Those  who  are  inclined  to  believe  in  special  providences  may 
find  food  for  reflection  in  the  circumstance  that  no  Union  man  had  his 
house  wrecked,  or  suffered  any  considerable  loss.  This  is,  at  least,  a  curi- 
ous coincidence.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  however,  that  violent  weather 
or  hurricanes  are  frequent  in  the  Bahamas.  Formerly  they  occurred  once 
in  two  or  three  years,  in  August  to  October,  but  now  blow  at  much  longer 
intervals.  There  has  been  no  hurricane  in  that  archipelago  since  the  one 
of  1866.  The  prevailing  winds  are  north  to  south,  round  b}'  east,  taking 
the  form  of  trade-winds  from  the  eastward  during  a  large  part  of  the  year, 
and  it  is  rarely  that  the  heat  of  mid-day  is  not  cooled  by  a  breeze  from  the 
sea.  The  facilities  for  yachting  and  fishing  at  Nassau  are  admirable,  fast 
yachts  being  always  on  Jiand,  while  the  neighboring  keys  present  attract- 
ive I'esorts  for  picnic  parties,  and  the  variety,  beauty,  and  savage  character 
of  many  of  the  fish  I'ender  fishing  a  sport  of  more  than  ordinary  interest. 
The  beautiful  Lakes  of  Killarney,  in  the  interior  of  New  Providence, 
abound  with  wild-duck,  and  those  who  care  to  cruise  as  far  as  Green  Key 
may  find  lots  of  pigeon-shooting. 

The  drives  around  Nassau  are  also  very  charming,  often  leading  by 
the  sea-side.  There  are  few  scenes  more  replete  w^itli  quiet  but  exquisite 
and  satisfying  beauty  than  the  drive  to  Fort  Montague  toward  sunset;  on 
one  side,  groves  of  palms,  lithe  and  graceful  as  nymphs,  gently  swaying 
their  undulating  plumage  in  the  evening  wind;  on  the  other  side,  the 
'sea  murmuring  on  the  yellow  sand;  in  the  distance,  the  city  and  the  port 
limned  against  a  sky  ablaze  with  the  glory  of  the  tropics.  The  roads  are 
alwa^'s  excellent,  and  of  such  a  nature  that  the  horses,  when  shod  at  all, 
are  only  shod  on  the  fore-feet.  With  a  few  exceptions,  they  are  small 
and  meagre  to  a  degree  that  rendei-s  Rosinante  corpulent  in  comparison, 
being  fed  chiefly  on  sugar-cane  stalks.  It  is  curious  that  on  islai'ids  gen- 
erally the  equine  race,  while  exceptionally  hardy,  has  a  tendency  to  dwin- 
dle in  size.  But  although  appearances  would  lead  one  to  expect  a  similar 
condition  in  the  vegetation  of  the  Bahamas,  the  reverse  seems  to  hold  good. 
With  but  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  islands  are  low  calcareous  rocks,  prob- 
ably the  summits  of  peaks  once  rising  far  above  the  sea,  and  enlarged  and 
re-elevated  by  coral  insects  since  their  submergence.  The  limestone  is 
gray,  and  so  hard  as  to  strike  fire  when  exposed  to  the  weather,  but  soft 
enough  below  to  be  shaped  with  saw  and  hatchet,  while  the  layer  of  soil 


26 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


scattered  over  it  is  so  thin  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  understand  how 
anything  but  scrub  and  goats  could  flourish  upon  it.  Any  Yankee  so 
enterprising  or  hare-brained  as  to  introduce  the  latest  improved  plough 
into  Nassau  would  be  considered  a  iit  candidate  for  the  Insane  Asylum 
behind  the  bishop's  residence.  And  yet  there  is  not  a  plant  of  the  tropics 
that  may  not  be  made  to  grow  there,  and  many  of  the  temperate  zone. 
The  mahogany  is  common,  chiefly  on  Andros  Island,  and  might  become  a 
lucrative  branch  of  commerce  if  there  were  roads  to  transport  it  to  the  sea. 


SILK-COTTON-TREE,    NASSAU. 


The  variety  called  the  horse-flesh  is  exceedingly  durable,  and  is  exclusively 
used  for  the  frames  of  Bahama  vessels.  It  seems  to  rival  oak  for  this 
purpose.  The  pine  reaches  a  good  size  in  the  interior  of  New  Providence, 
where  the  palmetto  is  so  intermingled  with  it  as  to  pi'esent  a  suggestive 
blending  of  the  vegetation  of  two  zones.  The  wild  pineapple,  or  air-plant, 
which  lives  in  the  branches  of  forest  trees,  holding  sometimes  a  quart  of 
dew  in  its  silver-gray  bowl  of  spiky  leaves,  is  also  an  interesting  object. 
The  satinwood,  lignumvitse,  yellow -wood,  fasti(;,  and  cedar  grow  every- 
where, and  cocoa  and  date  palms  abound,  together  with  the  Ficus  Tndicus, 
a  species  of  banyan.     Of  the  East  Indian  banyan  a  very  perfect  specimen 


THE   BAHAMAS.  27 

exists  near  Foit  Montague.  The  banana,  tamarind,  sapodilla,  mango,  cof- 
fee-plant, guava,  cnstard-apple,  orange,  sugar-cane,  mainmee,  and  almost 
every  vegetable  production  of  the  tropics,  grow  more  or  less  in  the  Baha- 
mas. The  oranges  of  San  Salvador  or  Watling's  Island  are  exceptionally 
sweet.  How  such  vegetation  can  thrive  on  a  mere  basis  of  rock  is  a  per- 
petual mystery.  I  visited  an  orange  plantation  outside  of  Nassau  where 
the  gray  rock  was  completely  honey-combed  with  depressions  called  cave- 
holes.  On  the  bottom  of  these  was  a  little  soil,  and  there  the  trees  grew 
and  flourished  in  clumps  of  eight  or  ten.  The  grape  fruit  is  a  species  of 
large  orange,  the  color  of  a  citron,  and  with  a  thick  rind  and  a  pleasant 
tiavor.  Why  it  should  be  called  the  grape  fruit  seems  difficult  to  under- 
stand. A  gentleman  from  the  Bahamas  saw  some  of  them  in  a  fruit- 
vender's  stall  in  New  York"  labelled  California  oranges,  their  size  seeming 
in  accordance  with  the  usual  exaggerated  character  of  the  productions  of 
that  ambitious  State.  "My  friend,"  said  he  to  the  fruit-vender,  "those 
are  not  California  oranges;  they  are  Bahama  grape  fruit." 

"I  guess  you'd  better  move  on,"  was  the  vender's  reply,  in  an  unmis- 
takable tone  of  asperity. 

One  of  the  most  singular  trees  in  the  Bahamas  is  the  silk-cotton,  which 
attains  a  large  size,  not  only  reaching  a  good  height,  but  spreading  laterally 
over  a  wide  surface,  and  buttressed  at  the  base  like  a  Gothic  tower,  evi- 
dently an  adaptation  by  nature  to  support  it  in  the  absence  of  any  perpen- 
dicular hold  it  might  have  in  a  deeper  soil.  The  roots  also  extend  to  a 
great  distance,  creeping  over  the  rock  like  vast  anacondas,  and  clinging 
to  every  crevice.  The  bolls  are  full  of  a  soft  brown  cotton,  resembling 
floss  silk,  but  not  adhesive  enough  for  use.  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
specimens  of  this  tree  is  the  one  behind  the  Government  House.  Its  roots 
extend  nearly  the  eighth  of  a  mile,  arid  then  shoot  up  into  another  mag- 
nificent specimen  in  the  grounds  of  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  in  whose 
branches  a  large  platform  has  been  constructed. 

The  cactus  and  aloe  are,  of  course,  connnon,  and  especially  the  Sisal 
aloe,  from  which  manilla  rope  might  very  well  be  manufactured  with  a 
little  enterprise,  as  might  also  be  added  regarding  the  production  of  cas- 
tor-oil, as  the  plant  grows  abundantly  on  the  islands.  The  pineapple  flour- 
ishes in  San  Salvador  and  Eleuthera ;  the  chief  supplies  of  that  delicious 
fruit  which  reach  our  markets  are  from  the  latter  island. 

The  cruise  to  Harbor  Island  and  Eleuthera  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing within  easy  distance  of  Nassau.  It  can  be  made  in  a  yacht  or  in  one 
of  the  many  little  schooners  constantly  plying  to  and  fro ;  keys  are  always 
in  sight,  and  a  lee  can  be  made  at  any  time ;  while  one  can  return  by  way 


28 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


of  Abaco,  where  a  cruise  in  the  sounds  on  either  side  of  tliat  island,  and 
a  visit  to  the  curious  little  settlement  called  Ilopetown,  inhabited  by  de- 
scendants of  the  buccaneers,  present  various  attractions.  Spanish  Wells, 
on  the  island  of  that  name,  is  a  most  singular  place.  Planted  on  the  low 
beach,  the  houses  are  huddled  together  in  inconceivable  disorder,  and 
built  on  posts  to  raise  them  above  the  sea  waves,  and  also  to  keep  them 
free  from  the  incursions  of  the  hermit-crabs,  which  live  in  the  rocks  in  vast 
numbers,  and  often  come  out  at  niglit  and  prowl  over  the  land.  Before 
every  house  is  an  oven — it  was  baking-day  when  we  touched  there — and 
the  smell  of  fresh  bread  could  be  observed  before  we  got  to  land.  It  was 
also  ironing-day,  and  before  every  cabin  flat-irons  were  ranged  on  coals. 


DL'NMORE    TOWN. 


The  women  wear  the  peculiar  oblong  pasteboard  sun -bonnet  which  was 
common  years  ago  in  our  rural  districts,  called  in  some  places  "rantam- 
skoots,"  and  their  appearance  is  not  especially  attractive;  but  then  I  did 
not  see  them  in  their  best  bibs  and  tuckers,  and  dress  does  make  a  differ- 
ence. Tlie  school -house  is  thatched  with  palm  leaves,  and  is  a  quaint 
little  building.  The  school-master  told  me  they  lived  on  conchs  and  fish, 
and  he  had  not  tasted  meat  for  two  months.  If  fish  makes  brain,  the 
Bahamians  ought  to  be  intellectual  to  a  degree;  but  facts  do  sometimes 
conflict  with  theories.  Many  of  the  fish  in  those  waters  are  poisonous  at 
times,  especially  the  barracuda,  which  is  a  very  savage  fish,  three  to  five 
feet  long.  The  cause  for  the  noxious  character  of  the  West  India  fish  is 
not  yet  fully  explained.  The  symptoms  of  poisoning  by  the  barracuda 
are  great  itching,  pain  in  the  joints,  and  baldness,  lasting  sometimes  for 
years.     The  first  hint  of  poison  is  a  violent  sickness  of  the  stomach,  at- 


THE   BAHAMAS.  29 

tended  with  vomiting  within  half  an  hour  after  eating  tlie  fish.  The  white 
people  of  the  Bahamas  generally  itiduce  the  negro  fish-sellers  to  .eat  of 
the  fish  fii'st,  and,  if  it  prove  harmless,  then  partake  of  it  themselves.  We 
caught  a  large  barracuda,  on  the  way  to  Harbor  Island,  and  it  was  cooked. 
Ignorant  of  its  dangerous  qualities,  I  ate  freely  of  it.  After  I  had  satisfied 
my  appetite,  I  was  told  of  the  possible  symptoms  that  might  soon  follow. 
It  being  too  late  to  avoid  the  mischief,  I  gave  the  matter  no  furtiier 
thought,  and  happily  suffered  no  ill  effects. 

From  Spanish  Wells  the  track  lies  over  a  succession  of  coral  reefs, 
through  which  the  passage  is  of  the  most  intricate  chai'acter;  one  of  the 
worst  places,  a  long  zigzag  reef,  is  called  the  Devil's  Backbone.  Were 
it  not  for  the  extraordinary  clearness  and  vivid  malachite  tints  of  the 
w^ater,  and  that  wherever  a  reef  rises  near  the  surface  it  is  indicated  by  a 
reddish  spot,  the  complementary  color  of  green,  it  would  be  next  to  im- 
possible for  a  vessel  to  work  into  the  port.  The  brilliance  of  this  hue  at 
mid-day  also  causes  the  deep  water  beyond  to  appear  purple,  while  the  sky 
is  actually  flushed  with  rose  to  the  zenith  on  a  bright  day.  The  port  of 
Harbor  Island  is  spacious,  and  so  protected  by  reefs  and  bars  at  each  en- 
trance as  to  be  the  safest  in  the  woild  for  vessels  not  drawing  over  nine 
feet  of  water,  after  they  once  get  inside  of  it.  It  is  formed  by  a  low 
island  stretching  across  a  bight  at  the  north-eastern  end  of  Eleuthera.  On 
the  inner  slope  of  this  isle  is  situated  Dunmore  Town,  containing  twenty- 
five  hundred  inhabitants,  next  to  Nassau  the  largest  settlement  in  the  Ba- 
liamas.  A  veiy  pleasing  little  place  it  is,  encircled  by  beautiful  cocoa-nut 
groves,  and  dreaming  by  the  gi-een  -water  in  an  air  of  solitude  and  peace 
which  is  very  bewitching  to  one  who  is  weary  of  the  rush  and  giddy  whirl 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  while  the  cool  trade-winds  always  moderate  tlie 
heat.  On  the  ocean  side  of  Harbor  Island  is  the  finest  beach  I  have  seen, 
of  very  fine,  delicate  pinkish  sand,  hard  as  a  floor,  a  glorious  galloping 
ground  for  the  half-dozen  ponies  in  tlie  place.  The  people  depend  for 
fresh  water  chiefly  on  w^ells  sunk  in  the  drifted  sand  immediately  back 
of  the  beach.  When  the  well  is  dug,  it  is  protected  from  falling  in  by 
three  or  four  barrels,  one  over  the  other,  and  the  rude  curb  is  guarded 
with  a  padlock.  The  sea-water  filters  through  the  sand  into  these  wells, 
and  becomes  sweet  as  ordinary  spring- water.  A  gale  of  wind  destroys 
the  wells  once  in  three  or  four  years,  and  excavating  new  ones  is  a  dan- 
gerous process.  The  inhabitants  gain  a  livelihood  cultivating  pineapples 
on  Eleuthera.  A  fleet  of  two  hundred  boats  is  owned  in  the  settlement. 
Every  morning  at  sunrise  this  little  fleet  spreads  its  wings  to  the  trade- 
wind,  and  wafts  eight  hundred   men  and  boys,  black  and  wdiite,  to  the 


30 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


lovely  beach  and  cocoa -nut  groves  on  Eleiitliera,  two  miles  away;  every 
night  they  return.  Tlie  pineapples  begin  to  ripen  in  April,  and  only  gi-ow 
to  advantage  on  a  peculiar  red  soil  that  is  always  thin,  and  is  found  in 
but  few  districts.  The  plantations  are  on  undulating  ground,  the  highest 
in  the  Bahamas,  and  are  skirted  by  mahogany,  logwood,  and  cocoa -nnt 
groves,  overgrown  with  the  brown  love  vine,  and  abounding  in  scarlet- 
flowered  hop,  clitoria  or  wild  pea,  and  various  other  flowers,  while  the 
song  of  the  brown  thrush  resounds  in  every  thicket,     A  pine  held,  when 


GLASS     WINDOWS. 


the  pines  are  ripe,  looks  as  if  it  were  on  fii-e,  the  scarlet  of  the  spiked 
leaves  forming  a  flame -color  with  the  vivid  oi-ange- yellow  of  the  fruit. 
There  are  two  principal  varieties  of  the  pineapple,  the  scarlet  and  the  sug- 
ar-loaf, the  latter  of  which  is  the  best.  It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that 
pineapples  such  as  those  of  Eleuthera,  eaten  perfectly  ripe  on  the  spot,  are 
infinitel}^  superior  to  the  pineapples  sold  in  our  markets.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  the  cocoa-nut.  For  a  penny  a  negro  ui'clhn  would  climb  up  a 
tree  and  fetch  me  a  pair  of  what  are  called  jelly  cocoa-nuts,  the  fruit  be- 
ing plucked  before  the  pulp  has  hardened,  so  that  it  can  be  eaten  with  a 
spoon.     The  flavor  is  very  delicate,  while  the  milk  is  cool  even  at  mid-day, 


THE   BAHAMAS.  31 

and  furnislies  a  tlioronghly  liealthy,  mildly  astringeiit  drink,  preferable 
to  water  or  the  brandy-and- water  in  which  the  lesidents  too  often  indulo-e 
for  a  warm  climate. 

Some  charming  excursions  may  be  made  from  Harbor  Island.  The 
bay  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sheets  of  water  ever  marked  by  the  keel 
of  a  yacht,  fringed  by  cocoa-nut  groves,  and  protected  from  the  surges  of 
ocean  by  the  silver-flashing  barrier  of  the  bar.  The  walk  from  Bottom 
Cove  to  the  arch  called  the  Glass  Windows  is  remarkable  for  the  sug- 
gestive beauty  of  the  land  forms,  the  effect  being  heightened  by  the  stately 
stalks  of  the  aloe  rising  here  and  there,  like  solitary  bronze  columns,  lift- 
ing a  mass}'  coronal  of  golden  flowers  against  the  sk}- ;  while  on  one  side, 
owing  to  the  nari'owness  of  Eleuthei'a  at  that  spot,  the  green  water  of 
the  coral  reefs  is  close  at  hand,  and  on  the  other  actually  blue  water, 
for  Eleutheia  is  on  the  extreme  edo^e  of  the  Banks,  servino-  for  some 
seventy  miles  as  a  breakwater  for  the  rest  of  the  group  against  the  vast 
waves  of  the  Atlantic,  Mdiich  rise  there  suddenly  sometimes  without  any 
wind,  and  last  for  sevei-al  hours.  The  natives  call  these  windless  risings 
of  the  sea  "  rages  ;"  they  are  probably  caused  by  a  heavy  storm  blowing 
at  a  distance.  In  1872  an  extraordinary  tidal  wave  rose  without  warn- 
ing at  the  Glass  Windows,  washing  under  the  arch  and  entirely  over  the 
island,  carrying  away  several  young  people  who  were  enjoying  a  picnic 
there.  The  account  of  the  rescue  of  one  of  tliem  is  a  thrilling  and  re- 
markable story,  too  long  for  narration  here ;  but  those  who  visit  Harbor 
Island  will  And  Mr.  Cole,  the  intelligent  and  courteous  school  -  master, 
quite  willing  to  repeat  the  narrative  of  an  adventure  of  which  he  was 
himself  an  eye-witness.  The  arch  is  of  limestone,  eighty-five  feet  above 
the  sea.  A  line  can  be  dropped  plumb  down  to  the  water.  It  is  split 
entirely  across  at  the  centre,  and  as  one  stands  over  the  crack  fancy  read- 
ily suggests  the  consequences  if  the  arch  should  fall  in  at  that  moment. 
Near  Gregory's  Harbor  is  a  cave  extending  eleven  hundred  feet  under- 
ground, enriched  with  stalactites  of  a  brilliant  brown  hue.  It  is  really 
worth  visiting.     There  is  also  a  large  cave  at  Long  Island. 

South  by  east  of  Eleuthera  is  Cat  Island,  or  Guanahani,  celebrated 
as  the  land  first  seen  by  Columbus,  and  called  by  him  San  Salvador. 
The  reader  must  here  be  prepared,  however,  for  a  surprise,  when  it  is 
stated  that  in  all  probability  it  was  not  Cat  Island  which  Columbus 
named  San  Salvador,  but  Watling's  Island — a  smaller  isle  a  little  more 
to  the  southward  and  eastward.  The  facts  in  the  case  are  these :  con- 
trary, probably,  to  the  general  opinion,  it  has  never  been  definitely  known 
whicli  was  the  island  entitled  to  the  honor;    but  about  fifty  years  ago, 


32 


THE    ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


when  liistorians  were  busy  witli  the  voyage  of  Columbns,  they  under- 
took to  settle  the  question  by  comparing  his  journal  with  the  imperfect 
charts  of  the  Bahamas  then  existing.  Navarette  fixed  on  Turk's  Island, 
which  later  investigation  has  proved  to  be  erroneous  ;  while  Irving,  sup- 
ported by  the  strong  authority  of  Plumboldt,  argued  for  Cat  Island,  and 
since  then  this  has  been  generally  accepted  as  San  Salvador,  and  it  is  so 
designated  on  our  charts  to  this  day.  But  the  English  reversed  their 
opinion  some  time  ago,  and  transferred  the  name  of  San  Salvador  to  Wat- 


/    ^^ 


STREET    IN     NASSAD. 


ling's  Island,  and  it  will  be  so  found  on  their  latest  charts.  The  reasons 
for  this  change  seem  conclusive.  Lieutenant  Beecher,  of  the  English  navy, 
proves  beyond  question  that  Cat  Island  cannot  be  San  Salvador,  and  that 
Watling's  Island  answers  the  conditions  required  better  than  any  other 
island  lying  in  the  track  of  Columbus.  His  two  strongest  reasons  against 
Cat  Island  are  that  Columbus  states  that  he  rowed  around  the  northern 
end  in  one  day.  The  size  of  Cat  Island  makes  this  physically  impossible 
there,  while  it  is  quite  feasible  at  the  other  island.  He  also  speaks  of  a 
lara:e  lake  in  the  interior.  There  is  no  such  water  on  Cat  Island,  while 
such  a  lake  does  exist  on  Watlino-'s  Island. 


THE  AZORES. 


CHAPTER   11. 

THE   AZORES. 

IT  was  on  the  23d  of  July  that  the  Al  clipper-bark  Jehu  sailed  from 
Boston  for  Faj'al  and  a  market,  in  ballast.  She  had  in  the  steerage 
thirty-one  Portuguese,  M'ho  were  returning  home,  and  the  object  of  the 
voyage  was  ostensibly  to  secure  a  charter  for  an  eai-ly  cargo  of  oranges 
in  November,  but  really  to  obtain,  clandestinely,  a  haul  of  Azorean  pas- 
sengers flying  the  islands  in  face  of  the  stringent  prohibitory  laws  against 
emigration.  There  is  in  the  Portuguese  doTninions  a  strict  system  of 
conscription,  under  which  every  man,  on  reaching  twenty-one,  must  incur 
the  chance  of  being  drawn  for  the  army ;  and  in.  consequence  no  one  can 
leave  the  Azores  who  has  not  yet  had  his  name  shaken  in  the  lot,  unless 
he  gives  bonds  in  three  hundred  dollars  that  he  will  return  and  serve,  if 
drawn,  the  money  to  be  forfeited  if  he  fails  to  respond ;  and  this  reguhi- 
tion  applies  even  to  mere  lads  scarce  weaned.  It  is  evident  that  the  great 
poverty  of  the  people  makes  this  a  pretty  effectual  bar  to  emigration.  It 
is  true  that  passports  are  with  some  reluctance  granted  to  those  who  do 
not  come  within  the  application  of  this  law,  yet  those  wishing  to  emigrate 
are  principally  young  and  enterprising  males.  But  for  years  they  have 
found  means  to  evade  the  observation  of  the  Government,  escaping  on 
passing  whalers,  whose  crews  are  largely  composed  of  Portuguese,  or  on 
English  and  American  traders,  which  have  occasionally  cruised  among 
the  islands  for  the  purpose  of  "  stealing  Portuguese,"  as  tlie  business  is 
called.  The  Jehu  was  at  the  time  the  only  American  vessel  then  depend- 
ing for  its  profits  on  this  curious  and  hazardous  traffic,  the  other  packets 
plying  between  this  country  and  the  Azores  being  partly  owned  by  resi- 
dents there,  who  do  not  dare  to  trespass  on  the  laws  of  the  land. 

Manuel,  the  second  mate,  and  all  the  crew  were  Portuguese  ;  he  was 
very  handsome,  black-bearded,  eagle-eyed,  and  with  a  herculean  frame. 
AVe  had  baffling  winds,  with  calms  and  fogs,  until  we  got  near  wlialing 
ground.  Tlie  Azores  are  an  important  rendezvous  for  whalers,  who  can 
provision  there  more  cheaply  than  at  home,  and  for  that  purpose  touch 

3 


34 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


there  even  when  bound  around  the  Iloi-n.  The  waters  in  tliat  vicinity  are 
also  2;ood  for  cruising,  although  whales  are  less  abundant  than  formerly. 
On  the  5th  of  August  we  took  a  sou'-wester,  and  the  Jehu  flew  toward 
Flores  with  every  stitch  of  canvas  set  and  all  drawing,  making  a  thou- 
sand miles  in  four  days,  galloping  away  with  the  wind  abaft  the  beam, 
and  carrying  sail  until  it  blew  away.  An  observation  on  the  8th  showed 
that  we  had  passed  Flores,  which  had  been  hidden  in  mist,  at  midnight, 
when  we  should  have  been  abreast  of  the  island.  Captain  Brown  had 
thouo-ht  of  lying  to  the  previous  night,  but  had  unwisely  concluded  to 


RCORVO 


^% 


AZORES 

—  or  — 

Western  Isles 


■^         Pico 


Joii^* 


-of" 


^ 


F{,n  s,t.  K.  T.  30  Longitude  West  29  from  Greenwich  28 


keep  on,  and  we  now  had  to  beat  to  windward  sixty  miles.  We  were  not 
the  first  who  had  found  the  Western  Islands  elusive  as  the  Flying  Dutch- 
man or  St.  Brandon's  Isle.  Lying  far  apart  as  they  do,  it  is  quite  easy, 
when  the  weather  is  at  all  thick,  to  miss  them,  or  come  foul  of  them  with 
a  fatal  crash,  for  they  are  all  so  precipitous  that  a  ship  may  almost  any- 
wdiere  butt  her  bowsprit  against  the  cliffs  before  grounding  or  finding 
anchorage.  The  Azores  (so  called  from  the  agor,  a  hawk  peculiar  to  those 
islands)  were  discovered  early  in  the  fifteenth  century  by  Cabral,  and  tlie 
Formigas,  a  reef  near  St.  Mary,  were  the  first  seen.  St.  Michael  and  St. 
Mary  were  the  first  to  be  settled,  about  1431,  sixty  years  before  the  voyage 
of  Columbus ;  who  on  his  return,  in  pursuance  of  a  vow  made  during  a 
great  storm,  landed  half  his  crew,wdio  went  barefoot  to  the  Chapel  of  the 


THE   AZORES.  35 

Virgin  to  offer  thanksgiving.  He  was  about  to  follow  with  the  remainder 
of  the  crew,  but  was  hindered  by  the  unfriendly  conduct  of  the  governor. 

It  was  a  fine  morning  in  August  when  we  reached  Flores — the  Lsle 
of  Flowers — and  with  a  fresli  leading  wind  stood  close  along  the  shore, 
enjoying  a  good  view  of  the  jagged  volcanic  peaks  and  well-cultivated 
slopes.  We  hove  to  at  breakfast-time  off  Santa  Cruz,  tlie  chief  place  on 
the  island.  A  boat  soon  came  off  with  the  health  officer,  and  after  getting 
pratique^  I  went  ashore  w^ith  the  captain.  The  boats  of  Flores  are  made 
for  out-at-sea  w^ork,  deep  and  bi'oad,  more  like  a  small  ship  than  a  row- 
boat,  and  the  oars  are  very  clumsy,  and  constructed  of  two  or  three  pieces, 
crooked  boughs,  fastened  together  with  marline,  and  turning  on  the  gun- 
wale by  a  broad  slab  through  which  the  thole-pin  passes:  it  requires  two 
or  three  men  to  pull  them.  We  reached  the  port  —  and  what  a  port! 
Riding  in  on  the  top  of  a  roller,  through  a  gauntlet  of  black  lava  rocks, 
hoary  with  roaring  foam,  and  scarce  thirty  yards  apart,  we  entered  a  haven 
about  an  acre  and  a  half  in  extent,  surrounded  by  perpendicular  cliffs,  on 
whose  edges  the  houses  are  perched,  and  with  a  beach  to  match,  affording 
scant  room  for  a  dozen  boats.  The  boatmen  took  us  off  the  boat  on  their 
shoulders,  and  landed  us  high  and  dry  amidst  a  throng  of  eager  men, 
women,  and  children,  who  occupied  every  spare  foothold  from  which  tlie 
new  arrivals  could  be  seen.  Closely  they  gatliered  around  us,  the  young 
and  the  old,  the  halt  and  tlie  maimed,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  latter  in 
large  majority ;  some  to  welcome  us,  others  to  gaze,  others  to  badger  and 
barter,  and  still  others  to  beg.  A  public  fountain  near  the  landing,  emp- 
tying its  musical  stream  into  a  stone  trough,  and  surrounded  by  a  group 
of  barefooted,  black-eyed,  olive-hued  girls  in  white  mantles,  filling  earthen 
jars,  was  the  first  object  to  fix  my  attention,  vividly  reminding  me  that, 
although  yet  in  the  Atlantic,  I  had  again  come  within  the  magic  influence 
which  lends  an  indescribable  charm  to  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 

The  people  of  Flores  are  good-looking,  many  of  the  young  girls  and 
youths  having  a  piquant  beauty  that  is  very  attractive.  But  the  aged 
often  have  the  parchment-like,  deeply  wrinkled  skin  common  the  world 
over  to  the  peasantry  when  advanced  in  years.  The  women  of  Flores 
generally  wear  a  shawl  or  white  cloth  over  their  heads.  Excepting  the 
few  of  the  upper  class,  both  sexes  of  all  ages  go  barefoot.  AVhen  they 
attend  mass  they  carry  their  shoes  with  them,  and  put  them  on  before 
entering  the  church. 

Convents  for  both  sexes  were  abolished  throughout  the  group  by  Dom 
Pedro  I.,  but  the  Franciscan  convent  of  Santa  Cruz  still  stands.  The  dor- 
mitories are  let  to  tenants,  but  the  chapel  belonging  to  it  is  a  fair  speci- 


3G  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

men  of  the  Renaissance-Italian  style  as  seen  in  colonial  chnrclies,  adapted, 
by  its  profuse  and  rather  tawdrily  gilded  ornamentation,  to  impress  an 
ignorant  populace.  The  church  of  Santa  Cruz  occupies  a  commandinf>- 
position,  and  is  externally  one  of  the  best  in  the  Azores.  It  is  flanked 
by  two  towers  surmounted  by  Saracenic  domes;  but  the  interior  is  cold 
and  naked.     Both  church  and  convent  are  about  three  centuries  old. 

The  formation  of  Flores  and  the  neighboring  island  of  Corvo,  which 
is  merely  a  crater  whose  sides  are  cultivated  by  a  small  colony  of  Moriscos 
not  a  thousand  in  number,  is  in  some  respects  different  from  that  of  the 
remainder  of  the  group;  that  they  are  distinct  is  partially  proved  by  the 
circumstance  that  earthquake-shocks  felt  in  the  other  islands  are  not  expe- 
rienced in  these  two,  which  have  shocks  entirely  their  own.  Figs,  yams, 
potatoes,  corn,  wheat,  bananas,  apples,  peaches,  and  almost  any  vegetable 
production  of  both  spheres,  grow,  or  can  be  made  to  grow,  on  these  islands, 
so  mild  is  the  average  temperature,  extremes  being  unknown.  But  to 
bring  many  of  them  to  perfection,  a  more  intelligent  culture  is  necessary 
than  they  receive  at  these  islands.  It  never  freezes,  even  during  the  rainy 
season,  except  on  tlie  mountains,  nor  does  the  mercury  often  rise  above 
85°  in  summer.  Excellent  figs  I  tasted,  yet  by  no  means  comparable  to 
the  fig  of  the  Levant ;  the  apples  are  far  inferior  to  ours ;  and  the  grapes 
are  only  tolerable.  It  is  but  fair  to  add  that  for  eighteen  years  a  blight 
has  cursed  the  Azorean  vineyards,  as  in  the  Madeiras,  and  both  grapes 
and  wine  are  scarcer,  and  possibly  })oorer,  than  formerly.  The  indications 
now  are  that  the  bliglit  is  about  over. 

There  are  several  villages  in  Flores,  and  agriculture  is  prosecuted  with 
much  industry,  women  also  laboring  in  the  fields,  and  the  implements 
are  of  a  patriarchal  character.  Donkeys  and  horses  are  scarce,  and  the 
means  of  transportation  are  the  human  head  and  small  carts  drawn  by 
diminutive  cattle;  the  wheels  are  solid,  turning  on  an  axle  of  chestnut- 
wood,  selected  especially  on  account  of  the  infernal  squeak  it  gives  out. 
The  peasants  find  this  a  congenial  music  on  the  lonelj^  roads ;  it  can  be 
heard  a  great  distance,  and  is  so  modulated  as  to  produce  alternately  a 
squeak  and  a  groan  !  The  cattle  become  accustomed  to  work  to  this  dole- 
ful accompaniment,  and  the  drivers  maintain  that  it  is  essential  to  their 
own  happiness;  each  cart-owner  is,  in  fact,  boastful  of  the  peculiar  tune 
creaked  by  his  own  vehicle. 

Having  landed  some  of  our  passengers,  and  engaged  provisions  against 
our  return,  we  sailed  for  Fayal.  Two  days'  sail  took  us  close  to  Castello 
Branco,  or  White  Castle,  a  bold  headland  at  the  southern  end  of  the  isl- 
and, four  hundred  feet  high,  and  resembling  a  huge  fortress,  connected 


THE   AZORES. 


37 


with  the  hind  by  a  slender  natural  causeway.  But  night  came  on  before 
we  could  weather  this  headhmd,  and  we  stood  out  to  sea  again  to  avoid 
being  becalmed  and  sucked  against  the  rocks  by  the  swift,  treacherous  cur- 
rents. Vessels  overtaken  by  calms  sometimes  have  very  narrow  escapes 
in  those  waters.  On  tlie  following  morning  we  beat  into  the  roadstead  of 
Ilorta,  the  town  of  Fayal,  the  latter  name  being  often  incorrectly  used  for 
both.  The  name  Fayal  is  derived  from  t\\Q  faya,  a  small  evergreen  tree, 
found,  however,  more  on  Pico  than  on  the  island  to  which  its  name  is 
given.  The  harbor  is  the  best  in  the  group,  affording  tolerable  anchorage 
and  shelter  from  westerly  winds,  Pico,  four  miles  distant,  presenting  a 
magnificent  breakwater  to  east  winds;  but  against  gales  from  the  nortli- 


FLORES  CART  AND  PEASANT  UUT. 


cast  and  south-east  there  is  no  shelter,  and  vessels  have  then  to  cut  and 
run,  or  incur  great  risk  of  going  ashore.  They  always  ride  at  heavy  moor- 
ings, and  sometimes  in  a  gale  all  hands  seek  refuge  on  land. 

"We  threw  the  topsail  aback,  and  Avaited  for  the  port-boat,  which  soon 
came  out,  followed  closely  by  the  revenue  and  several  other  boats.  The 
officers  very  carefully  examined  our  captain  as  to  the  number  on  board, 
causing  all  hands  to  be  mustered  along  the  rail  to  count  noses.  As  we  had 
several  who  had  come  without  passports,  and  therefore  could  not  pass  mus- 
ter, some  sharp  practice  resulted,  after  which  everything  was,  with  some 
hesitation,  pronounced  satisfactory.  Two  guards,  one  more  than  usual, 
owing  to  the  doubtful  character  of  the  Jehu,  were  detailed  to  remain  on 
board  during  her  stay.  Yery  particular  are  these  Portuguese  martinets 
in  all  the  punctilios  of  revenue  law,  on  the  principle  that  the  smaller  the 
State  the  more  necessary  is  it  to  maintain  its  dignity  with  fuss  and  fcath- 


38 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


ers.     So  strict  are  the  revenue  laws  that  even  a  mere  sail-boat  cannot  leave 
one  island  district  for  another  without  a  clearance.     A  person  cannot  go 


FAYAL 


PICO    FROM    FAYAL. 


from  Pico,  in  the  Fajal  disti'ict,  to  St.  George,  only  sixteen  miles  off,  hut 
in  the  Terceira  district,  except  with  a  passport;  and  if  caught  without  one, 
he  is  permitted  to  meditate  on  his  sins  in  jail. 

The  captain  of  a  Yankee  whaler  pla^-ed  a  good  joke  on  the  port  au- 
thorities of  Horta.  While  cruising  in  the  neighboring  waters,  one  of  his 
crew  fell  from  aloft  and  broke  his  leg.  Accordingly,  the  vessel  put  into 
Fayal  to  land  the  poor  fellow. 

"  Where  are  you  last  from  ?"  asked  the  port  officer. 

"  From  Barbadoes." 

He  looked  over  his  instructions,  and  found  Barbadoes  to  be  a  suspected 
island,  so  nothing  would  do  but  that  the  whaler  must  proceed  seven  hun- 
dred miles  to  Lisbon,  the  capital  of  Portugal,  and  go  into  quarantine  there, 
before  she  could  land  the  man.  What  does  oui-  sharp  Yankee  do  but  sail 
to  the  island  of  Terceira,  only  seventy  miles  distant. 

"Where  are  you  last  from  ?"  asked  the  port  officer  of  Terceira. 

"From  Fayal,"  replied  the  American. 

So  they  gave  him praiigue.     Then  he  sailed  back  to  Fayal. 

"  Where  are  you  last  from  ?"  again  asks  the  port  officer  there. 

"  From  Terceira." 

"  Ah,  very  good." 

They  could  do  nothing  else  but  give  hun  jyratique,  and  the  man  with 
a  broken  leg  was  at  last  landed,  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Fayal.  Pos- 
sibly this  is  not  the  only  instance  of  sharp  practice  winked  at  in  Fayal. 

The  f/ehu  was  now  sent  in  charge  of  the  mate  to  St,  George  to  land 


THE   AZORES. 


39 


tlie  remaining  steerage  passengers,  while  Captain  Brown  stayed  at  Fajal  to 
negotiate  for  a  charter.  On  hmding,  I  called  at  the  town  residence  of  the 
Dabneys,  where  I  was  pohtely  received  and  treated  to  fine  blackberries 
and  figs,  and  Pico  wine,  a  mild  tipple  suggesting  sherry,  although  decid- 
edly inferior  to  it  in  flavor  and  quality.  The  house,  built  by  the  late  Mr. 
Dabney,  for  many  years  United  States  consul,  is  surrounded  by  extensive 
grounds,  admirably  laid  out  and  stocked  with  choice  exotics.  We  took  up 
our  quarters  at  the  hotel  kept  by  Mr.  Edwards.  The  afternoon  was  pleas- 
antly spent  in  a  stroll  to  Porto  Pirn,  an  excellent  little  haven  adjoining 
the  main  port,  if  it  w^ere  not  exposed  to  the  full  sweep  of  westerly  gales. 
The  town  on  that  side  is  protected  by  old  fortifications,  erected  in  former 
ages  as  a  defense  against  the  descents  of  corsairs,  and  is  entered  by  a  pict- 
uresque mediaeval  gate.  * 

Pico  began  to  show  his  head  in  the  afternoon,  indicating  good  weather, 
lie  is  the  barometer  of  the  Azores :  wdien  his  head  is  muflled,  the  weather 
will  be  dubious ;  but  when  the  peak  is  visible,  all  will  be  pi'opitious.  The 
mountain  stands  at  the  western  end  of  the  Pico  island,  and  towers  7613 
feet  above  the  sea,  an  isolated  volcanic  cone,  surrounded  at  its  base  by 


PICO    PEAK,    FROM     FAYAL. 


many  smaller  craters.  Later  in  the  day  I  visited  the  fort  by  the  jetty,  and 
there  saw  "  Long  Tom,"  a  gun  which  belonged  to  the  privateer  General 
Armstrong^  in  the  war  of  1812.     The  defense  of  this  vessel,  on  the  26th 


40  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

of  September,  1814,  is  one  of  the  most  gallant  exploits  in  the  history  of 
American  naval  warfare.  Captain  Keid  and  his  ofhcers  were  at  a  ball 
when  it  was  reported  that  an  English  fleet  was  off  the  port.  He  hurried 
on  board,  and  moored  his  ship  under  protection  of  the  fort.  He  had  only 
seven  gnns  and  ninety  men,  but  repulsed  three  attacks  of  flotillas  sent  in 
by  an  English  squadron,  destroying  many  boats,  and  inflicting  on  the  ene- 
my a  loss  of  three  hundred  men.  Finding  that  he  must  eventually  be  over- 
powei-ed,  Captain  Eeid  caused  the  muzzle  of  "Long  Tom"  to  be  pointed 
into. the  hold,  and  flred,  thus  scuttling  the  vessel,  and  escaping  to  the  shore 
with  his  crew.  "Long  Tom"  was  afterward  fished  up  and  mounted  in 
the  fort.* 

On  the  day  following  I  sallied  out  before  breakfast,  strolling  along  the 
water-street  which  skirts  the*  shore  and  is  protected  by  a  parapeted  sea- 
wall. I  was  in  season  to  see  the  Pico  fen-y-boats  landing  their  passengers 
and  cargoes,  which  were  carried  through  the  surf  on  the  heads  or  shoul- 
ders of  barelegged  boatmen.  The  boats  cai-ry  two  lateen-sails,  and  are 
made  to  stand  heavy  weather.  In  the  early  morning  they  come  from 
Magdalena  and  Larga,  villages  of  Pico,  deeply  laden  w^th  passengers, 
wood,  charcoal,  fruits,  and  other  commodities,  and,  after  discharging,  re- 
load and  return.  So  soon  as  the  goods  were  landed,  peasant  women, 
barefooted  and  nut-brown,  but  pleasant-featured,  raised  the  heavy  baskets 
or  jars  to  their  heads,  and  wended  their  way  to  the  market-place,  which 
is  entered  through  a  high  gate  from  the  Rua  de  Collegio.  It  is  a  square 
enclosure,  with  a  rov/  of  booths  running  entirely  around,  and  within  these 
meat  and  provision  stalls.  On  the  pavement  in  front  sat  the  country- 
w^omen,  displaying  panniers  of  fruit  and  vegetables.  In  the  centre  of  the 
quadrangle  is  a  large  well  shaded  by  fine  trees.  There  is  a  picturesque- 
ness  quite  Oriental  about  the  whole  scene. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  agreeably  passed  in  rambling  about  the 
city,  which  has  five  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  well  laid  out,  on  a  slope, 
containing  some  elegant  residences  and  gardens,  and  several  churches, 
which,  however,  present  no  architectural  points  worthy  of  note.  The 
laro-e  buildings  formerly  erected  for  a  Jesuit  college,  convent,  and  church 
are  now  occupied  as  barracks. 

The  freemasons  have  two  lodges  in  Ilorta,  and  the  order  has  some 
stren(*-th  in  the  islands.     The  shops  of  Ilorta,  as  throughout  the  Azores, 

*  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  English  fleet  which  thus  attacked  Captain  Reid  in  a 
neutral  port  was  carrying  re-enforcements  to  General  Tackenham  at  New  Orleans.  The  losses  it 
sustained  in  the  fight  detained  them  so  long  at  Fayal  that  they  did  not  reach  New  Oilcans  until 
after  the  battle  at  that  place  luid  been  lost. 


THE   AZORES. 


41 


have  no  windows,  but  two  or  three  doors,  always  wide  open  and  giving 
denii-daylight.  The  dwelHngs  are  built  over  the  shops,  with  small  bal- 
conies projecting  over  the  street,  some  of  them  veneered  with  azulejos,  or 
glazed  tiles.  The  names  of  the  streets  are  of  the  same  w^are  in  blue  and 
wliite.  The  strangest  sight  in  Ilorta  is  the  capote  of  the  women,  worn 
alike  in  summer  and  in  the  rainy  season  :  this  cloak  is  of  heavy,  dark- 
blue  stuif,  falling  in  massive  folds  to  the  ankles,  and  surmounted  by  a 
stupendous  hood,  stiffened  with  wlialebone  and  buckram,  and  of  astound- 
ing' shape  and  size.      Some  pretty  faces  may  occasionally  be  discerned 


nil,     111(1     FERRV. 


nnder  this  grotesque  guise,  althougli  the  women  of  Fayal  are  less  pleasing 
than  their  sisters  of  Flores.  At  night  the  main  street  is  dimly  lighted, 
rather  superfluously  it  seemed  to  me,  as  after  dark  very  few  steps  are 
lieard.  Day  or  night,  no  place  could  be  more  quiet,  Tlie  roar  of  the 
surf  tumbling  on  the  reef  or  against  the  sea-wall  is  about  the  only  sound 
prevailing.  Now  and  then  the  bray  of  an  ass,  or  the  bark  of  a  dog,  or 
the  shrill  voice  of  a  peasant-girl  —  once  or  twice  a  day  the  harsh  jangle 
of  a  tumble-down  hack  drawn  slowly  by  mules — such  are  the  sounds  in 
llorta.  Quiet  reigns  there,  except  at  the  landing-place  near  the  fort; 
thei-e  the  bawling  of  boatmen  and  sailors  is  often  resonant. 

On  the  third  morning,  after  another  early  stroll  about  the  market  and 
the  port,  I  ordered  a  donkey  for  the  Caldeira,  or  crater  of  Fayal.     The 


42  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

saddle,  like  those  of  Scio,  is  intended  for  riding  sidewise,  without  stirrups, 
and  is  broad  and  well  cushioned,  with  a  bow  at  each  corner  by  which  the 
rider  steadies  himself.  By  the  driver's  advice,  I  sat  on  the  "starboard" 
side  of  the  little  beast.  We  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Flamengoz,  a  strag- 
gling village  on  the  outskirts  of  Horta,  once  settled  by  Flemings,  and  the 
most  attractive  part  of  Fayal.  Much  of  it  lies  along  the  course  of  a  tor- 
rent deeply  worn  in  a  lava  bed.  At  one  picturesque  spot  a  brown  stone 
bridge  spans  the  torrent  with  several  arches ;  under  them  a  small  thread 
of  water  now  percolated,  in  which  merry-voiced  gii'ls  were  washing  their 
clothes.  Beyond  the  bridge,  on  a  hill,  stands  a  white  church,  from  whose 
steps  a  superb  prospect  is  gained.  Pico  rises  in  the  background,  gar- 
landed with  delicate  clouds,  yet  towering  as  if  close  at  hand ;  between  the 
two  islands  lies  the  port,  the  roofs  of  Horta,  and  then  the  nearer  hills 
which  form  the  gorge  through  which  runs  the  river,  overhung  with  foli- 
age in  tropical  variety  and  luxuriance.  Here  we  left  the  good  macadam- 
ized road,  and  struck  into  narrow  bridle-paths.  The  cultivated  lields  were 
everywhere  enclosed  by  walls  or  hedges  of  the  Hortensia,  profusely  cov- 
ered with  massy  clusters  of  white  and  purple  flowei's.  Gradually  we  left 
all  signs  of  civilization,  and  struck  into  a  solitude,  the  donkey  carefully 
picking  a  precarious  foothold  over  lava  soil  scooped  out,  furrowed,  ribbed 
and  broken  by  the  winter  rains  in  the  most  inconceivable  manner. 

After  several  hours  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  crater,  seven  miles 
from  Horta,  and  3335  feet  above  the  sea.  Making  the  donkey  fast  to  a 
bush,  w'e  descended  into  the  crater,  a  feat  more  easily  mentioned  than  ac- 
complished, for  it  is  1700  feet  to  the  bottom,  and  the  sides  are  so  precipitous 
and  broken  as  to  make  the  descent  hazardous  without  a  guide.  A  young 
American  was  killed  some  years  ago  going  down  into  this  abyss.  The 
floor  of  the  crater  is  overgrown  with  dry  yet  sponge-like  moss,  giving  to 
the  feet  the  sensation  of  a  heavy  Turkey  carpet.  Near  the  centre  is  a  pool, 
tawny  and  turbid,  of  unknown  depth,  and  close  to  it  rises  a  smaller  crater, 
resembling  in  size  and  appearance  the  liana-draped,  age-hoary  teocallis  in 
the  jungles  of  Yucatan.  A  few  frogs,  not  in  awe  of  the  sublime  loneli- 
ness of  the  spot  once  the  scene  of  belching  fires  and  subterranean  thun- 
ders, gave  an  occasional  croak  by  the  edge  of  little  brooks  wimpling  down 
from  the  clefts  in  the  rocks.  Before  we  began  the  ascent,  the  clouds  came 
creeping  over  the  edges  of  the  precipices,  assuming  the  form  of  water-falls 
dropping  into  space  in  eternal  silence.  This  magnificent  volcanic  valley 
is  nearly  six  miles  in  circumference  and  over  a  mile  in  its  largest  diam- 
eter, but  so  symmetrical  is  its  form  that  it  is  with  difficulty  one  can  realize 
its  depth  and  extent. 


THE  AZORES.  43 

Before  we  left  Fayal,  I  had  time  also  to  ascend  Pico  Peak,  Mliicli  is 
the  central  point  and  most  interesting  feature  of  the  Azores.  I  crossed 
the  strait  in  one  of  the  feluccas  which  ply  daily  between  the  islands.  The 
spirited  action  of  the  saucy  little  craft  filled  one  witli  exuberant  joy,  her 
immense  lateen- sails  swelling  and  straining  in  the  breeze  as  she  drove 
careening  over  the  waves  with  a  bone  in  her  mouth,  and  now  and  again  a 
dash  of  spray  over  the  bow ;  the  groups  of  chatting,  gayly  dressed,  black- 
eyed  peasants  clustered  on  the  deck  were  also  charmingly  picturesque ;  sea 
and  sky  were  a  deep  azure ;  and  before  us,  a  stupendous  outline  clean  cut 
against  the  sky,  towered  the  Peak,  solitary  and  sublime. 

Immediately  on  landing,  I  sent  men  in  different  directions  to  procure 
a  mule  for  the  ascent.  But  four-legged  animals  are  scarce  at  Pico ;  and 
it  was  several  hours  before  one  could  be  found,  and  then  only  for  the  fol- 
lowing day.  This  was  bad.  The  time  generally  allowed  for  the  ascent  is 
two  days,  while  the  time  at  my  disposal  was  short,  and  the  weather  looked 
threatening.  Without  clear  weather,  it  is  effort  thrown  away  to  climb  the 
Peak.  I  decided  to  accomplish  the  trip  in  one  day,  and  then  walked  up 
two  miles  to  tlie  village  of  Vellas,  with  Jorge,  my  guide,  in  whose  house 
I  passed  the  night.  The  village  lies  on  one  of  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountain.  It  has  no  water,  and  the  women  bring  all  the  water  from 
wells  at  the  sea-side  two  miles  away,  sometimes  making  the  trip  several 
times  daily.  They  carry  the  jars  on  their  heads,  which  gives  them  the 
stateliness  of  caryatides. 

The  women  of  Pico  ai'e  the  handsomest  of  the  Azores,  finely  formed, 
and  with  features  of  almost  classic  beaut3\  Tlieir  wealth  of  massive  black 
tresses  are  done  up  in  a  simple  beautiful  braid,  crowned  by  a  straw  hat  or 
a  scarlet  clotli.  Blithe  and  buxom,  they  seem  to  bear  the  burdens  of  life 
right  merrily.  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  there  is  indeed  no  greater  folly 
than  to  be  wise. 

Jorge's  house  was  the  best  in  the  village;  it  consisted  of  three  small 
rooms  and  a  porch,  over  a  half-story  containing  a  hand-mill  and  a  stable. 
The  garden  was  stocked  with  yams,  potatoes,  grape-vines,  and  fig  and 
orange  trees,  fenced  in  with  brown  walls  of  loose  lava,  which  looks  mas- 
sive and  lieav}-,  but  is  light  and  spongy,  and  is  so  irregularly  shaped  that 
M'alls  made  of  it  cling  together  without  mortar.  The  villagei'S  collected 
at  Jorge's  in  the  evening  to  gossip  by  the  light  of  a  feeble  glim.  They 
were  ranged  on  the  floor  around  the  apartment,  like  sachems  in  a  wig- 
wam. The  pipe  of  peace  went  around  in  the  form  of  a  meagre  cigarette; 
each  took  a  moderate  whiff.  Tobacco  is  too  precious  an  article  in  the  isl- 
ands to  be  indulged  in  too  prodigally  by  most  of  the  people.     After  a 


44  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

while  I  was  able  to  roll  up  in  a  blanket  on  the  floor ;  but  sleep  was  a 
scarce  commodity  that  night.  A  baby  with  the  colic,  who  at  first  excited 
my  sympathy,  finally  aroused  in  me  less  amiable  feelings.  But  the  Eng- 
lish language  has  a  pliability  and  richness  suitable  to  all  occasions.  To- 
ward morning  I  caught  a  few  winks,  but  was  soon  awaked  by  the  girls 
tripping  merrily  by  after  the  daily  rations  of  water.  Then  came  the 
mule.  It  was  neai'ly  four  o'clock.  Hastily  despatching  a  cold  breakfast, 
I  mounted.  The  saddle  was  a  crazy  piece  of  antiquity ;  but  it  held  to- 
gether as  long  -as  I  needed  it.  The  muleteer  and  Jorge,  the  guide,  fol- 
lowed on  foot ;  and  as  we  went  on  we  were  accompanied  part  of  the  way 
by  villagers  going  out  to  work  in  the  fields.  The  morning  was  glorious. 
Bay,  oleander,  and  arbutus  hedged  the  road  ;  the  M'histle  of  blackbirds 
w^as  heard  far  and  near ;  sometimes  we  flushed  a  partridge  or  started  a 
rabbit.  The  truncated  outline  of  the  cone  was  wreathed  by  light,  rosy 
clouds,  and  its  summit  burned  like  a  living  coal  in  the  glow  of  the  rising 
sun,  while  the  lower  part  was  still  hidden  in  shadow  and  mist.  It  seemed 
a  huge  altar  on  which  the  Titans  of  old  M'ere  sacrificing  their  morning 
oblations  to  the  Lord  of  the  Universe. 

After  climbing  four  thousand  feet,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the  mule 
behind  in  charge  of  a  neat-herd,  and  sci-amble  up  the  unbroken  slope  of 
the  cone  on  foot.  It  was  a  \ery  liai'd  climb  of  over  three  thousand  -feet, 
M'ithout  a  break,  as  if  one  were  to  creep  up  a  dome  of  that  size.  At  one 
o'clock,  after  great  exertion,  we  scaled  the  rocky  wall  of  the  first  crater, 
and  looked  into  it  as  one  might  look  down  into  an  ancient  fortress  from 
its  battlements.  The  sides  are  perpendicular,  avei-aging  seventy  feet  in 
height,  except  in  one  place,  where  a  breach  has  been  made.  It  is  ap- 
parently about  three  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  and  offers  the  most  com- 
plete s])ectacle  of  desolation  I  ever  beheld.  Masses  of  scoriae  and  black- 
ened lava  lie  strewn  around  its  floor,  like  fragments  of  shattered  towers ; 
nowhere  is  there  the  slightest  sign  of  life ;  not  a  bird,  not  a  blade  of  grass, 
is  to  be  seen.  On  one  side  is  the  little  peak,  soaring  like  the  grim  keep  of 
a  castle.  It  is  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  stands  on  a  platform  of  lava, 
which  is  again  supported  by  long  buttresses,  rugged  and  twisted,  like  the 
writhing  limbs  of  tremendous  dragons  suddenly  stiffened  into  stone. 

The  heat  was  intense  in  the  crater,  and  my  thirst  was  such  as  no  wine 
could  quench.  Fortunately,  we  found  a  bowl-like  hollow  in  the  interior 
of  a  cleft  of  a  lava  bowlder,  in  which  was  mysteriously  concealed  a  small 
pool  of  water,  icy  cold,  enclosed  like  the  bulb  of  air  in  a  spirit-level.  The 
aperture  was  just  large  enough  to  admit  head  and  shoulders.  Outside  of 
the  rock  was  the  heat  of  the  tropics,  and  within  the  coolness  of  winter. 


THE   AZORES.  45 

Having  lunched,  we  grappled  with  the  little  peak,  an  undertaking  at- 
tended with  some  hazard,  owing  to  its  height,  its  excessive  steepness,  and 
the  character  of  its  formation.  It  is  composed  „of  loose  blocks  of  lava, 
which  are  easily  detached,  and  roll  bounding  to  the  bottom,  threatening 
the  footing  or  the  head  of  the  climber.  When  half-way  up,  Jorge,  who 
was  in  advance,  dislodged  a  large  stone.  "Look  out!"  he  cried.  I  dodged 
my  head  just  in  time,  but,  instinctively  raising  my  arm,  received  a  blow 
whicli  disabled  my  hand  for  several  days.  On  reaching  the  top,  we  found 
a  slightly  depressed  crater,  perhaps  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  out  of 
which  issued  a  thin,  hot  vapor.  The  stones  were  sufficiently  warm  to 
make  a  change  of  position  agreeable.  Sitting  on  the  edge  of  this  pin- 
nacle, I  felt  much  as  one  might  if  seated  at  the  top  of  a  lofty  chimney. 
The  long  slope  below  seemed  so  perpendicular  that  it  suggested  the  illu- 
sion that  I  might  descend  over  seven  thousand  feet  before  touching  bot- 
tom, if  I  chose  to  take  the  leap.  I  felt  no  sensation  of  giddiness,  but  a 
certain  awesome  solemnity,  such  as  one  might  realize  if  he  were  on  the 
apex  of  creation.  One  can  only  experience  tliis  eifect  on  mountains  which 
stand  entirely  isolated,  like  Pico,  between  sky  and  sea,  and  terminate,  like 
it,  in  a  minute  point.  Three  thousand  feet  below,  the  scattered  white 
clouds  lay  dreamily,  like  a  fleet  becalmed  ;  and,  below  or  beyond  them, 
Fayal  and  most  of  the  group  of  nine  islands  were  seen  inlaid  on  the  ame- 
tliystine  floor  of  tlie  vast  ocean.  The  meeting  of  the  sea  and  sky  line  was 
discerned  with  difficulty.  The  blue  overhead  was  an  intense  and  almost 
opaque  cobalt.  We  seemed  on  that  point  to  be  ensphered  midway  be- 
tween two  semiglobes  whose  edges  were  joined  at  the  horizon. 

The  descent  naturally  occupied  less  time,  and  at  dusk  we  re-entered 
Vellas.  The  villagers  were  chatting  in  their  doors;  a  guitar  tinkled 
in  the  still  air.  But  the  tramp  of  the  mule  clattering  down  the  steep 
streets,  a  sound  unusual  at  Vellas,  produced  a  sensation.  A  lad,  half  wild 
with  excitement,  dashed  ahead,  shouting,  "  The  American  is  coming!" 
Much  laughter  and  merriment  ensued  ;  once  more  they  all  gathered  at 
Jorge's  house,  and,  tired  as  I  was,  I  could  get  no  sleep  for  some  hours. 

Keturning  to  Ilorta  at  sunrise  on  the  following  morning,  I  found  an 
invitation  awaiting  me  to  breakfast  at  the  house  of  Count  Santa  Anna. 
Performing  a  hasty  toilet,  I  was  in  season  for  a.  charnnng  stroll  about  the 
grounds.  An  elegant  breakfast  followed,  graced  by  the  ladies  and  gentle- 
men of  his  household.  The  count  is  a  bachelor,  but  his  sister's  family  re- 
sides with  him.  The  Jehu  had  by  this  time  returned  from  San  Jorge, 
and,  when  breakfast  was  over,  I  hastened  on  board:  we  made  all  sail,  and 
glided  past  Monte  de  Guia  out  to  sea,  bound  to  St.  Micliael.     The  distance 


46  THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 

is  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  miles,  east-south-east,  and  it  took  ns  just  three 
days  and  four  nights  to  do  it  in,  owing  to  cahns  and  head-winds. 

On  a  fine  morning  in  August  we  came  up  with  the  city  Ponta  Delgada, 
The  appearance  of  the  place — lying  on  a  gentle  slope,  flanked  by  luxuriant 
orange  plantations  and  volcanic  peaks  sharply  serrated — is  very  pleasing 
from  the  sea.  Other  towns  of  the  same  size  are  also  visible  here  and 
there,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the  island  is  more  prosperous  and  inviting 
than  the  shores  of  the  other  islands  of  the  group.  In  effect,  there  is  anch- 
orage along  nearly  the  whole  southern  side  of  St.  Michael,  although  with 
southerly  gales  vessels  are  forced  to  make  an  offing.  A  breakwater  was 
begun  twelve  years  ago,  on  the  outer  lip  of  a  sunken  crater,  in  ten  fathoms 
of  water;  it  is  expected  to  afford  shelter  for  one  hundred  sail,  and  is 
now  gradually  approaching  completion,  in  spite  of  the  terrible  shocks  of 
the  winter  surges,  which  have  several  times  opened  large  breaches. 

The  city  is  faced  wntli  a  sea-wall,  and  the  landing  is  wdthin  a  hand- 
some jetty,  forming  a  square,  snug  boat-harbor.  This,  with  the  archways, 
church-tower,  and  entrance-gate,  combines  to  impress  one  who  lands  there 
for  the  first  time  with  an  idea  of  local  wealth  and  prosperity  not  entirely 
belied  by  further  inspection  of  the  place.  Ponta  Delgada  is  regularly 
laid  out  and  neatly  kept,  tlie  streets  are  underdrained  and  well  paved,  and 
the  roads  into  the  country  are  macadamized,  and  afford  excellent  drive- 
ways. The  churches  are  numerous,  and  generally  well  built.  The  value 
of  the  arch  and  tower  is  understood  at  St.  Michael.  The  cathedral  is  an 
imposing  edifice ;  the  belfry  simple,  but  grand  in  its  proportions,  and  hung 
with  a  chime  of  sweet-toned  bells.  Less  can  be  said  for  the  interior,  al- 
though it  is  not  without  merit.  I  observed  on  the  walls  a  Papal  dispen- 
sation granting  forty  days'  indulgence  to  tliose  who  should,  in  however 
small  degree,  contribute  to  the  repairs  on  the  roof.  A  quaint  effect  is 
added  to  the  exterior  by  liuman- faced,  lion -bodied  gargoyles  springing 
from  the  rear  angles  under  the  eaves.  With  the  Church  of  San  Francisco 
is  connected  a  nunnery,  whose  windows  are  guarded  by  massive  iron  grat- 
ings; it  resembles  a  jail  for  the  confinement  of  the  w^orst  criminals  rather 
than  an  asylum  wliere  pure  young  virgins  flee  from  a  wicked  world  to 
meditate  on  the  Paraclete  and  Paradise.  The  convents  in  the  Azores  had 
become  so  corrupt  that  D.om  Pedro  I.  abolished  them  some  thirty  yeai'S 
ago,  as  before  stated;  but  this  one  is  allowed  to  exist  by  limitation.  Priests 
are  numerous  in  the  streets,  which  are  otherwise  cheerful  and  attractive. 

There  is  considerable  traffic  between  town  and  country,  and  much 
passing  of  peasants  driving  loaded  asses  and  mules ;  and  the  rattle  of 
crazy  hacks,  furiously  driven  and  drawn  by  refractory  mules,  is  not  uncom- 


THE   AZORES.  47 

moil.  Once  a  day  an  antique  omnibus  runs  to  Alagoa,  a  town  nine  miles 
off  down  the  coast.  Some  really  handsome  equipages,  with  attendants 
in  livery,  are  occasionally  seen.  St.  Michael  boasts  a  baron,  a  viscount, 
and  a  marquis,  all  of  its  own  raising.  The  mansions  and  gardens  of  these 
gentry  are  sumptuous,  well  laid  out  and  stocked  with  exotics,  noticeable 
among  them  the  Norfolk  pine.  But  the  orange  plantations  are  the  glory 
of  St.  Michael,  and  they  spread  over  the  whole  island.  Every  plantation 
is  surrounded  by  high  walls  of  lava  stone,  within  which  are  again  planted 
rows  of  the  insenso-tree,  which  forms  a  dense  growth  to  a  considerable 
height;  and,  protected  by  this  double  enclosure  from  the  furious  winter 
winds — for  the  Azores  are  in  the  line  of  the  severest  Atlantic  gales — the 
orange-tree  spreads  its  glossy  foliage  and  bears  its  golden  fruit;  and  an 
ample  crop  it  is :  360,000  boxes,  twenty  to  the  ton,  are  annually  exported. 
By  the  middle  of  October  the  long  procession  of  mules  and  donkeys  be- 
gins to  wend  down  the  mountains  to  the  citv,  laden  with  the  fruit  whicli 
is  to  gladden  many  firesides  in  foreign  lands.  At  the  same  time  the 
schooners  and  barks  begin  to  arrive  from  abroad  to  waft  spicy  odors  to 
the  wharves  of  England  and  America.     This  continues  until  April. 


MARKET-DAY     IN    FATAL. 


Besides  the  activity  of  the  orange  season,  Fridays  and  Sundays,  being 
the  market-days,  are  always  blithesome  occasions,  full  of  bustle  and  life. 


48  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Tlie  people  collect  then  in  holiday  attire  to  buy,  sell,  or  exchange  their 
■wares,  and  one  has  a  good  opportunity  of  observing  all  classes  in  St.  Mi- 
chael. The  people  of  that  island  more  nearly  resemble  the  parent  stock 
than  the  natives  of  the  other  islands.  The  men  are  handsome,  and  the 
children  are  often  exceedingly  beautrfiil ;  but  of  the  women  less  can  be 
said.  Pleasing  in  maidenhood,  early  child-bearing  and  hard  labor  in  the 
iields  soon  rob  them  of  their  charms.  The  heavy  capote  is  very  common 
there,  and  the  streets  look  as  if  every  other  woman  were  a  nnn,  giving 
a  sombre  effect  to  street  scenes,  which,  indeed,  lack  a  certain  something 
to  give  them  character.  On  analyzing  the  question,  I  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  addition  of  more  variety  and  brilliance  of  color  in  the 
dress  of  the  people  is  what  is  wanting  to  complete  the  effect  one  would 
expect  in  a  place  like  Fonta  Delgada.  The  population  of  St.  Michael  is 
about  115,000,  of  which  Ponta  Delgada  contains  25,000.  The  females 
are  8000  in  excess,  owing  partly  to  the  lawful  emigration  of  males  to 
Portugal  arid  Brazil. 

Twenty-five  miles  from  the  capital  are  the  thermal  springs  called  the 
Furnas,  whose  waters,  strongly  impi-egnated  with  sulphur,  have  been  a 
sanitary  resort  for  many  years.  They  are  reached  by  an  excellent  car- 
riage-road, winding  through  the  most  romantic  scenery.  These  springs 
are  apparently  a  sort  of  safety-valve  for  the  volcanoes  of  the  Azores. 
Although  Pico  is  now  half  comatose,  it  has  been  active  w^ithin  a  hundred 
years,  while  it  is  scarcely  thirty  years  since  St.  George  was  the  scene  of  a 
terrific  catastrophe,  the  whole  summit  of  that  island  appearing  to  be  more 
or  less  overrun  by  subterranean  fires  and  melted  lava,  bursting  forth  from 
many  sources,  and  nearly  depopulating  it.  Nor  is  it  uncommon  for  islands 
to  spring  up  in  those  waters,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  St  Michael,  and, 
after  a  short  sta}^  above  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  to  disappear  as  suddenly 
as  they  rose. 

After  a  stay  of  some  days,  we  again  embarked  on  the  Jeliu^  wdiich, 
during  the  interval,  had  been  lying  off  and  on  in  charge  of  the  mate,  and 
started  for  home  by  way  of  Pico  and  St.  George.  Toward  morning  we 
took  a  breeze  from  sou'-west,  and  the  bark  boomed  along  at  a  spanking 
rate.  A  heavy  squall  brought  us  down  to  close-reefed  topsails,  and  under 
this  canvas  we  flew  till  noon,  when  "Land  ho-o-o-o!"  was  the  cry;  and 
there,  sure  enough,  was  the  loom  of  land  through  the  mist  on  the  weather 
bow.  But  what  land  ?  Pico  was  the  island  for  which  we  were  bound, 
but  some  said  this  was  Terceira;  others,  St.  George.  Yet  how  we  could 
have  deviated  so  as  to  make  either  of  these  in  a  run  of  only  a  hundred 
miles  it  was  impossible  to  say.     An  hour  brought  us  near  enough  to  ascer- 


THE   AZORES. 


49 


tain  that  it  was  St.  George,  and  that  we  were  over  twenty  miles  out  of  our 
course.  Had  the  gale  continued  or  the  fog  not  lifted,  the  consequences 
might  have  been  serious.  It  turned  out  that  a  chisel  had  been  thouglit- 
lessly  left  in  the  binnacle,  thus  affecting  the  needle.  St.  George  looked 
very  grand  and  grim  with  the  thunderous  evening  clouds  enshrouding  his 
brow,  lit  here  and  there  by  liery  gleams  of  sunset.  For  two  days  we 
drifted  with  the  currents  back  and  forth  in  a  calm,  between  Pico,  St. 
George,  and  Terceira.  Angra,  the  chief  town  of  Terceira,  is  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  of  the  Azores.     Here  also  is  a  college,  with  law  and  theo- 


HOSPITAI,    OF    VILLAFRANCA    DO    CAMPO,    FAYAL. 


logical  schools  attached.  The  island  produces  oranges  abundantly,  and  is 
noteworthy  as  the  seat  of  intellect  and  the  residence  of  the  creme  de  la 
creine  of  Azorean  society.  A  great  naval  battle  for  the  possession  of  Ter- 
ceira was  fought  off  Port  Angra,  in  the  sixteenth  centurj-,  between  the 
Spaniards  and  the  Franco-Portuguese  fleet. 

St.  George,  without  presenting  any  striking  isolated  peak,  is  very  high 
land  throughout  its  extent  of  thirty  miles^  falling  everywhere  sheer  down 
to  the  water  from  a  plateau,  except  at  the  southern  end,  where  it  slopes 
very  slightly,  and  its  precipitous  sides  are  deeply  grooved.  The  villages 
are  small  and  the  population  is  thin,  yet  more  than  enough  to  till  the 


50  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

araljle  soil.  Wheat,  cattle,  and  cheese  are  the  products  of  this  island. 
Beef  and  fowls  ai'e  cheap,  and  canaries  are  plenty,  as  on  all  the  islands 
of  the  group,  of  a  russet-green  hue,  but  warbling  a  full  rich  song:  they 
serve  a  double  purpose  in  the  Azores — to  sing  and  to  furnish  tidbits — 
and  very  delicate  they  are,  whether  in  a  cage  or  on  a  platter. 

On  the  21st,  we  approached  St.  George,  and  were  boarded  by  a  boat, 
which  had  eluded  the  revenue  officers  and  come  in  quest  of  tobacco. 
Large  quantities  of  the  weed  are  smuggled  into  the  islands,  often  by 
whale-ships,  and  at  an  enormous  profit.  In  the  evening  signal-lights  were 
seen  both  on  Pico  and  St.  George,  indicating  that  fugitives  were  there 
waiting,  as  by  previous  arrangement,  to  steal  off  to  the  vessel ;  but  she  again 
drifted  too  far  out  with  the  current  in  the  calm.  Pico  Peak  showed  niao;- 
nilicently  at  sundown,  in  one  of  the  most  superb  sunsets  I  have  seen  at 
sea.  On  the  22d,  we  stood  close  in  to  Pico,  giving  the  agent  of  the  Inter- 
national Transatlantic  Submarine  Railroad  an  opportunity'  to  identify  the 
vessel  and  mature  his  plans.  We  also  saw  a  revenue-boat  keeping  careful 
guard  along  the  shore.  About  nine  in  the  evening  a  brilliant  flame,  the 
concerted  signal,  appeared,  flashing  at  intervals  on  St.  George.  We  stood 
in,  and  at  about  ten  a  light  suddenly  shone  out  close  to  the  ship,  and  a 
boat  was  soon  vaguely  discerned. 

As  they  came  up,  "  Is  this  an  American  ship  ?"  was  the  hail. 

"Yes." 

"What's  her  name?" 

"  The  Stirprise.'''' 

"  Is  she  going  to  Boston  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Does  she  take  passengers  ?" 

"Yes." 

Then  they  pulled  along-side  and  boarded  us,  bringing  four  passengers. 
Soon  after  midnight  another  boat  came  up  with  four  more  passengers, 
and  informed  us  that  several  were  waitino;  for  us  on  the  other  side  of  St. 
George,  where  no  guards  are  kept,  owing  to  its  inaccessible  character,  so 
that  the  embarkation  can  take  place  there  in  the  daytime ;  although  there 
they  have  to  slip  down  steep  ledges,  and  sometimes  swim  several  yards 
through  the  surf  to  the  boats,  as  the  sea  is  often  too  high  to  allow  a  boat 
to  land.  An  English  brig  had  taken  off  eighty  from  that  side  a  few  days 
before  our  arrival. 

At  daylight  we  squared  away  for  the  eastern  side  of  St.  Geoige,  run- 
ning under  its  lee  with  a  very  stiff  breeze,  coming  down  the  gorges  in  ter- 
rific squalls — and  what  high  land  that  is !     From  the  central  ridge  the 


THE   AZORES. 


51 


land  slopes  gently  two  miles,  and  then,  along  its  whole  length  of  thirty 
miles,  falls  almost  perpendicularly  from  900  to  1500  feet,  usually  nearer 
the  latter  than  the  former  figure  ;  a  tremendous  spectacle,  as  inile  after 
mile  Avas  passed,  and  still  no  break  in  that  Titanic  wall,  corrugated  with 
black  gorges  and  gulches.  It  made  the  scene  still  more  impressive  to  ob- 
serve how  every  available  patch  of  earth  is  everywhere  terraced  and  culti- 
vated by  man,  who  here  seems  fitted  both  with  wings  and  claws  to  till  the 
soil  on  bits  of  slope,  at  an  angle  of  sixty-five  degrees,  to  the  very  edge  of 
precipices  that  drop  hundreds  of  feet  to  the  ever-beating  surge  below. 


JLTTY     01'    rONTA    DELGADA,    ST.    MICHAEL. 


About  noon  the  treacherous  wind  lulled,  and  the  bark  began  setting  in 
toward  the  land.  By  great  effort  and  by  skilfully  seizing  a  flaw,  they 
contrived  to  work  her  out  into  the  wind  again  and  into  control.  Then 
smoke  was  seen  on  Ponto  Ferrado.  We  sent  off  a  boat,  which  met  another 
coming  off  with  a  single  passenger.  The  boatmen  said  others  were  wait- 
ing to  come  on  board,  and  therefore  returned;  but  as  they  M'ere  scattered 
about  the  neighborhood  secretly  bidding  their  friends  farewell,  it  might 
take  some  time  to  collect  them,  so  we  braced  the  yards  and  stood  over 
toward  Graciosa,  or  the  Beautiful  Isle— rightly  named,  if  one  may  judge 
from  its  appearance  as  seen  from  the  sea.  When  we  again  stood  in  for 
St.  George,  a  sail  loomed  up  suddenly  close  to  us,  white  in  the  light  of  the 
moon.     Four  more  passengers  now  arrived,  and  the  boat  was  then  hauled 


52  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

on  deck  with  its  crew,  including  the  agent  of  the  I.  T.  S,  R.  II.  We  lay 
off  and  on  all  night,  the  squalls  blowing  with  tlie  fury  of  jpam^eros.  A 
signal-lig^^t  was  seen  several  times;  but  at  sunrise  such  a  swell  was  rolling 
in,  that  landing  was  out  of  the  question,  and  we  stood  on  beyond  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  island.  After  a  few  hours  we  again  headed  for  the  ren- 
dezvous, passing  near  to  "  Padre,"  a  colossal  statue  223  feet  in  height,  off 
Rosales  Point,  hewn  by  nature  out  of  the  rock,  and  vividly  resembling  a 
venerable  priest,  kneeling,  in  his  vestments.  A  boat  was  sent  ashore,  but 
not  returning  when  expected,  its  loss  in  the  surf  was  surmised,  and  an- 
other boat  was  sent  in  quest  of  it.  After  a  long  interval,  both  boats  re- 
turned with  only  three  passengers.  A  smoke  being  then  discerned  on 
another  spot,  a  boat  was  again  sent  off,  returning  this  time  with  a  young 
fellow  who  had  been  burning  brushwood  for  us  all  night. 

But  in  the  mean  time  those  on  board  were  fully  occupied.  In  his 
anxiety  to  procure  passengers,  the  captain  had  allowed  his  ship  to  come 
too  near  the  land,w"hich  is  so  lofty  that  when  it  is  blow^iug  a  gale  of  wind 
off  shore,  it  is  often  a  dead  calm  close  in ;  and  it  is  even  more  hazardous 
to  be  becalmed  off  St.  George  than  off  the  other  islands,  because  on  that 
side,  in  addition  to  the  currents,  there  is,  even  in  the  mildest  weather,  a 
heavy  northerly  swell  tumbling  in.  About  five  it  was  evident  that  the 
ship  was  drifting  landward ;  and  it  became  necessary  to  put  forth  every 
effort,  as  we  w'ere  nearing  the  cliffs  fast.  The  three  boats  were  got  out, 
and  all  hands,  including  the  male  steerage  passengers,  were  pnt  to  rowing, 
without,  however,  making  any  impression  in  checking  the  dead-drift  of 
the  bark  shoreward.  Black  overhead  loomed  the  tremendous  cliffs,  many 
hundred  feet  above  us,  frowning  under  a  heavy  canopy  of  cloud  that  grad- 
ually veiled  the  upper  crags,  Night  was  at  hand,  the  barometer  was  low, 
and  all  signs  were  ominous  of  a  change  of  weather.  The  writer  was  at 
the  wheel,  with  orders  to  watch  for  the  first  breath  of  air,  to  bring  the  ves- 
sel up  to  it.  There  seemed  a  little  trying  to  come  fi'om  the  north-east,  but 
not  enough  to  stop  the  ship  in  her  drift  toward  the  rocks,  where  the  long 
ocean-swell  broke  with  a  sullen  and  ceaseless  thunder.  At  last  there  came 
a  smart  shower,  and  then  a  gentle,  almost  imperceptible,  flaw.  "  Keep  her 
up !"  roared  the  captain,  half  beside  himself  with  anxiety.  The  air  came 
again  ;  the  sails  began  to  fill,  and,  gathering  way,  the  bark  again  responded 
to  the  helm.  Gradually  she  drew  off  shore,  the  boats  were  called  in,  and 
slowly  we  gained  two  miles,  and  began  to  feel  more  easy,  although  not 
realizing  until  later  from  what  a  shipwreck  we  had  escaped.  We  were  all 
at  supper,  when  the  cabin-boy  came  down  and  said,  "It  looks  awful  bhick 
to  windward !"     The  cabin  was  cleared  in  half  a  wink ;  then  the  ship  rung 


THE   AZORES. 


53 


with  tlie  tramp  of  feet,  tlie  frantic  shouts  of  the  officers,  the  creaking  of 
blocks,  and  tlie  furions  Happing  of  sails.  The  squall  was  very  fierce.  Not 
liaving  sea-room  for  running  off  before  it,  as  is  nsual  with  sqnare-rigged 
vessels  in  such  an  emergency,  the  vessel  was  brought  up  in  the  wind's  eye 
just  in  time  to  save  going  on  her  beam-ends  or  carrying  away  her  spars. 
Either  contingency  would  have  resulted  in  tlie  sliip's  drifting  directly  on 
the  rocks,  and  going  to  pieces  in  the  wild  sea  wliicli  accompanied  the 
squall.  But,though  stag- 
gering under  the  blow,  :"'  v^^^ 
everythmg  held ;  and 
having  rolling  topsails 
»(a  priceless  invention), 
tlie  Jeliib  was  soon  un- 
der close-reefed  top-sails 
and  courses,  and  with 
this  canvas  managed  to 
claw  off  ten  miles  of 
lee-shore  and  make  an 
offing. 

It  blew  a  gale  of 
wind  all  night,  backing 
more  into  the  north  at 
daylight,  when  we  con- 
cluded to  run  for  a  lee  under  Fayal,  thirty  miles  away.  The  wind  shift- 
ing several  points,  we  made  instead  for  the  strait  between  Pico  and  St. 
George,  and  hove  to  under  Pico,  the  base  of  whose  stupendous  cone  was 
wreathed  with  luminous  clouds,  running  up  the  weather  slope  like  surf 
dashing  up  the  sides  of  a  light-house.  During  the  afternoon  I  saw  at  one 
time  seven  rainbows  in  a  row,  each  brilliant  and  defined  with  perfect  dis- 
tinctness. The  wind  shifting  to  sou'-west,  and  blowing  veiy  fresh,  we  lay 
to  around  Pico  until  the  27th,  when,  although  the  weather  was  still  very 
dubious,  we  again  ran  for  the  north  side  of  St.  George  to  land  the  agent 
of  the  I.  T.  S.  P.  R.,  who  would  land  nowhere  else,  lest  he  be  nabbed  b}- 
the  guarda-costa^  and  made  to  pay  dear  for  running  Portuguese  off  the 
islands.  A  boat  with  the  second  mate  and  the  best  half  of  the  crew  was 
sent  ashore  to  land  the  agent,  while  we  stood  out  to  sea  again,  taking  in 
sail  after  sail  as  we  again  passed  Padre,  and  having  a  hard  day's  work  of 
it,  short-handed  as  we  were.  Mr.  Looby,  the  mate,  a  very  valuable  officer, 
on  whom,  owing  to  his  efficiency,  the  safety  of  the  ship  depended  much 
more  than  on  the  captain,  had  not  slept  four  out  of  the  last  forty-six  hours. 


A    ST.    MICHAEL    WAGON. 


54  THE    ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Toward  niglit  we  stood  in  and  picked  np  the  boat.  Her  crew  were  in  liigli 
dudgeon,  on  account  of  tlie  perilous  expedition  upon  which  they  had  been 
sent ;  but  the  captain  had  the  good  sense  to  hold  his  peace,  treated  the 
men  to  a  stiff  glass  of  grog,  and  the  affair  blew  over.  AV^e  lay  off  and  on 
all  night  off  St.  George,  and  the  next  day  ran  out  past  Pico,  returning  be- 
tween the  two  islands  at  sundown.  It  was  now  cahn,  the  moon  near  the 
full ;  and  soon  the  expected  beacon-flame  was  seen  blazing  at  intervals  at 
Calheta  on  St.  George.  We  ran  in  and  showed  our  light  in  the  rigging, 
and  about  eleven  a  large  launch  appeared  bringing  thirteen  passengers, 
including  several  women  and  children.  This  completed  the  number  we 
could  get  from  St.  George,  full  twenty  less  than  promised.  But  the  season 
was  advanced,  and  the  supply  was  running  low,  over  one  thousand  having, 
already  left  the  islands  during  the  summer,  of  whom  the  Jeliu  had  taken 
one  hundred  and  twenty  on  her  previous  trip. 

After  dodging  in  this  unsatisfactory  way  around  Pico  for  several  days 
longer,  and  finding  at  last  that  some  unknown  cause  prevented  the  escape 
of  those  we  were  expecting  from  that  island,  we  put  the  helm  up  and  bore 
away  for  Flores.  A  glorious  breeze  on  the  quarter  took  us  in  thirteen 
hours  to  Santa  Cruz,  where  we  again  landed  and  remained  three  days, 
which  were  passed  with  nmcli  pleasure  i-ambling  about  the  island,  enjoy- 
ing its  unique  scenery  and  its  hospitable  cheer,  for  which  I  am  much  in- 
debted to  the  unaffected  kindness  of  Dr.  M'Kay,  the  English  consul,  and 
his  amiable  family;  to  Senhor  Pedro  Almeida,  German  consular  agent; 
Senhor  Constantine  Almeida,  collector  of  the  i-evenues,  and  other  gentle- 
men. The  bark  meantime  lay  off  and  on,  taking  on  board  water  and 
provisions,  and  thirty-five  more  passengers,  who  had  n)any  of  them  been 
in  Amei'ica  and  were  all  able  to  obtain  passports.  Those  who  were  al- 
ready on  board  were  kept  out  of  sight  until  2iix.Q.x pratique  was  obtained; 
after  that  it  was  easy  enough,  and  quite  en  regie,  for  the  guard  left  in  the 
ship  to  wink  hard  when  he  saw  strange  faces  from  time  to  time  creeping- 
out  of  the  steerage. 

It  was  after  nightfall  of  the  5th  of  September  when  everything  was 
ready,  and  we  bade  farewell  to  our  kind  friends,  who  acconqjanied  us  to 
the  beach.  The  islesmen  carried  us  on  their  shoulders  to  the  boat  and 
shoved  off.  We  rode  over  the  rollers  at  the  entrance  of  the  little  port,  and 
pushed  out  on  the  wide  ocean  to  seek  the  Jehu,  which  had  drifted  with  the 
current  in  the  calm  nine  miles  to  the  southward.  Heartily  the  eight  boat- 
men bent  to  the  huge  oars,  accompanying  the  movement  with  a  rude  song. 
The  night  was  perfectly  still,  but  cloud3^  Seaward  a  thin  mist  veiled  the 
mysterious  deep ;  on  our  right  the  steep  crags  of  Flores  loomed  high  and 


THE   AZOKES.  55 

dim;  the  long  swell  of  the  ever-panting  bosom  of  the  ocean  was  like  glass; 
and  yet  from  the  hollow  caves  came  the  eternal  boom  of  the  surf-billows 
that  have  beaten  that  wild  coast  ever  since  it  first  arose  to  view.  At 
length  the  ship's  light  became  faintly  visible,  and  then  the  vague  outline 
of  spars  and  sails  duskily  liumed  against  the  sky,  and  forms  moving  eerily 
before  the  lights;  and  then  was  heard  the  sighing  of  the  sails  languidly 
swino-ino;  to  and  fro  with  the  idle  roll  of  the  phantom-like  bark;  then  the 
rush  of  feet  on  deck ;  the  shrill  orders  of  the  nuite ;  the  shadow  of  the 
great  fabric  above  us ;  the  flash  of  a  broad  light  in  our  dazzled  eyes ;  the 
grappling  with  the  ship ;  the  hurried  scramble  up  her  black  sides  into  the 
snug  security  and  comfort  of  a  good,  trim  clipper  and  a  cosy  cabin ;  and  a 
rousing  cup  of  tea,  and  a  brace  of  as  tender  and  savorily  roasted  ducks  as 
ever  tempted  an  anchorite  to  forego  a  w^hile  his  crust  and  acorns. 

For  eight  days  we  had  mild,  fair  winds,  and  the  guitar  and  the  love- 
song  rung  through  the  ship  early  and  late.  By  the  starlight  the  steerage 
passengers  gathered  in  the  gangway  and  listened  to  the  vocal  songs  of  isl- 
and improvisatores.  One,  with  a  guitar,  sung  a  couplet  ending  in  a  female 
rhyme,  and  another  responded,  repeating  the  last  line  and  adding  a  coup- 
let of  his  own,  the  subject  constantly  varying,  with  allusions  to  whatever 
most  interested  singers  and  listeners.  The  versification  was  smooth,  and 
the  refrain,  although  monotonous,  was  not  unmusical.  Evidently  we  here 
had  poetry  in  its  bucolic  form,  as  exemplified  by  Theocritus  and  Virgil; 
the  Azorean  bards  gave  us  genuine  eclogues  even  if  rude.  This  blended 
form  of  poetry  and  music,  still  common  in  the  East,  is  undoubtedly  the 
earliest  mode  in  which  the  twin  arts  found  expression.  One  night  Ave  had 
a  sort  of  rustic  ball  in  the  steerage  ;  merry  was  the  music  of  violin  and 
guitar,  and  lively  was  the  dancing  by  the  feeble  light  of  a  smoky  lantern, 
w'hich  gave  a  Rembrandtesque  effect  to  this  unique  and  romantic  scene. 

An  affray  between  the  second  mate  and  the  cook  broke  the  calm  in 
which  we  were  basking,  and  seemed  a  fit  prelude  to  the  boisterous  weath- 
er which  attended  us  during  the  last  fortnight  of  the  passage.  Captain 
Brown  was  playing  cribbage  with  Mrs.  Brown  on  the  quarter-deck  one 
afternoon  ;  most  of  the  steerage  passengers  were  lying  here  and  there  sun- 
ning themselves,  or  embroiderino-  and  chattino;  toojether.  The  watch  were 
engaged  splicing  ropes  or  patching  old  sails ;  and  all  was  so  peaceful  that 
the  musical  plash  of  the  water  could  be  heard  against  the  ship's  side  as 
she  slipped  along  at  a  lazy  six  knots  an  hour.  Suddenly  angry  voices, 
sharp  and  loud,  disturbed  the  quiet,  and  in  an  instant  Manuel,  the  second 
mate,  had  the  cook  on  his  back  in  the  gangway  and  was  ferociously  thump- 
ing his  head  on  the  deck.     All  was  then  in  an  uproar.     The  combatants 


56  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

were  from  different  islands;  and  wliile  tlie  women  set  np  a  wailing  and 
shrieking,  swaying  their  bodies  back  and  forth  in  wild  frenzj^,  the  men, 
both  crew  and  steerage  passengers,  began  to  take  sides.  In  the  mean  time 
Captain  Brown  went  on  with  his  game,  willing  to  let  them  tight  it  out 
among  themselves  nntil  further  developments.  But  the  twitching  of  his 
face  showed  that  he  was  keeping  half  an  eye  to  windward.  The  crisis 
arrived  when  the  man  at  the  wheel  struck  eight  bells,  and  the  man  who 
was  to  relieve  him,  instead  of  going  aft,  lingered  to  look  on,  and  perhaps 
take  a  hand  in  the  hglit.  "  What  are  you  doing  there  ?  why  don't  you  go 
to  your  wheel  V  roared  the  captain  to  him.  "  I  will  when  I'm  ready,  sij-," 
answered  the  half-mutinous  Portuguese.  Up  leaped  the  captain,  standing 
six  feet  two  in  his  stockings,  and  heavily  built  at  that;  and  as  if  the  fire 
of  3'onth  were  once  more  galloping  through  his  veins  for  a  moment,  with 
three  strides  he  reached  the  man,  and  hissing  in  his  ear  with  almost  Sa- 
tanic passion,  "  You'll  come  when  ye  are  ready,  will  ye !  You  go  to  that 
wheel,  or  by  the  living  God  I'll  dash  your  brains  out !"  and  clutching  him 
by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  as  one  might  hold  a  wet  rag  or  a  limp  puppy,  he 
fairly  lifted  him  along  on  his  toes  to  the  wheel  and  planted  him  there. 
This  action  seenied  to  bring  most  of  the  rioters  to  their  senses ;  they  were 
made  instantly  conscious  that  they  were  going  much  further  than  they 
ever  intended.  The  second  mate  and  the  cook  were  separated,  and  the 
former  returned  to  the  foi'ecastle  to  continue  the  splicing  of  a  pennant. 
But  the  cook,  burning  for  vengeance,  seized  a  cleaver,  and,  creeping 
stealthily  up  behind  Manuel,  was  just  about  to  split  his  skull,  when  the 
others  interposed  and  caught  the  uplifted  arm.  A  sullen  peace  was 
patched  up  after  this  affray,  and  the  heavy  weather  which  succeeded 
tended  to  distract  the  attention  from  a  quarrel,  which,  as  is  not  unusual, 
had  originated  about  a  woman — "  There  was  a  woman  in  the  case." 

Amidst  a  succession  of  variable  gales,  accompanied  by  enormous  seas, 
we  now  worked  our  way  laboriously  toward  Boston,  adding  a  \ery  narrow 
escape  from  destruction  by  fire  to  the  other  incidents  of  the  voyage.  On 
the  twenty-third  day  we  made  Thatcher's  Island  in  a  fog,  ran  down  to  the 
Graves  under  a  stiff  breeze,  and,  rounding  Boston  Light,  cast  anchor  off 
the  quarantine — the  first  time  our  anchor  had  touched  bottom  since  we 
had  sailed  from  India  wharf  on  the  23d  of  July. 


THE   CHANNEL  ISLANDS. 


57 


CHAPTER   IIL 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


^  ^'  G 


L   I   S  II 


n^riE  severest  gale  that  had  blown  for  several  winters  had  lashed  the 
-■-  shores  of  Great  Britain.  The  whole  country  was  covered  with  un- 
wonted snows,  and  frozen  by  cold  very  unusual  there.  Many  wrecks  had 
occurred,  and  the  Channel  had,  as  usual,  been  swept  by  the  tempest.  A 
large  steamer  had  foundered  in  its  waters,  and  the  costly  breakwaters  of 
Alderney  and  Jersey  had  been  greatly  damaged.  Hardly  had  the  waves 
yet  subsided  when  the  royal  mail  packet  SouthamjJton  steamed  down  the 
Solent,  past  the  Isle  of  Wight,  at 
midnight,  for  tlie  Cliannel  Islands. 
But  on  getting  out  into  the  open  sea 
we  found  the  wind  piping  up  again, 
and  a  high  sea  directly  in  onr  teeth. 
Accordingly,  we  put  back,  and  lay 
till  morning  in  Yarmouth  Roads. 
The  wind  moderatino;  at  davlisrlit, 
we  weighed  anchor  and  made  a  sec- 
ond attempt.  All  day  it  blew  fresh, 
with  quite  "a  lump  of  a  sea"  on; 
but  toward  night  Alderney  hove  in 
sight,  then  the  three  ligiit- houses, 
warning  the  mariner  to  give  a  wide 
berth  to  tlie  Caskets,  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  and  most  celebrated  reefs 
in  the  Atlantic.  On  these  rocks  Prince  William  was  lost,  the  only  son  of 
Henry  I.,  after  which  event  it  is  said  the  king  never  smiled  again.  In 
later  times,  the  wreck  of  a  Russian  line-of -battle  ship,  and  of  the  Eng- 
lish man-of-war  Yictory^  M'ith  eleven  hundred  men  on  board,  have,  among 
other  wrecks,  given  a  melancholy  celebrity  to  tlie  Caskets.  As  we  neared 
and  passed  this  reef  the  waves  became  greatly  larger  and  more  broken, 
although  the  wind  was  less.     This  was  explained  as  caused  by  the  tides 


C     n      A     N     2^   .E     L 


L     A.-i;°N      D      S 


5S  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

and  coiinter-cnrrents,  wliich,  owing  to  the  very  irregular  character  of  the 
adjoining  coast  of  Normandy  and  the  numerous  sunken  ledges  surround - 


a  -    h 


ST.   PETER  S    PORT,    GDERNSET. 


ing  the  cliannel,  combine  with  the  extraordinary  ]-ise  and  fall  of  the  tide 
to  render  navigation  in  this  archipelago  generally  rough,  and  in  the  winter 
season  hazardous. 

Picking  her  way  carefully  between  the  various  pitfalls  which  line  the 
entrance  to  St.  Peter's  Port,  the  steamer  moored  along-side  the  pier  after 
nightfall.  As  I  wound  my  way  np  the  steep  winding  streets  to  my  lodg- 
ings, it  seemed  as  if  I  had  fallen  upon  some  old  fortihed  rock  town  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  and  the  impression  was  not  altogether  contradicted  by  in- 
spection of  the  place  by  daylight.  St.  Peter's  Port  has  a  population  of 
16,000,  females  being  in  an  excess  of  nearly  a  third,  as  is  also  the  case  in 
Jersej^  It  is  built  on  a  slope  of  considerable  steepness,  rising  two  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  and  consists  of  the  old  and  the  new  town.  The 
former  faces  the  port,  and  is  fronted  by  a  pleasant  esplanade,  ornamented 
with  ti'ees  and  protected  by  a  sea-wall.  The  port  itself,  originally  built 
by  Edward  I.,  is  entirely  artificial,  and  has  been  enlarged  in  later  years 
with  great  labor  and  expense.  On  a  rock  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  piers 
stands  Castle  Cornet,  a  massive  pile  without  much  beauty,  but  dating  back, 
it  is  said,  to  the  Romans,  and  presenting  various  interesting  additions  since 
then.  It  suffered  greatly,  three  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  explosion  of  its 
powder-magazine,  which  was  struck  by  lightning.  The  main  pier  or  break- 
water lies  at  right  angles  to  the  waves  of  south-east  gales,  which  are  very 
savage  in  those  waters.  Nothing  can  be  wilder  than  to  see  an  immense 
breaker  swooping  down  on  the  massive  wall,  and  then  dashing  to  a  great 
height  into  the  air,  a  gray  ghostly  mist  that  is  immediately  torn  away  by 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


59 


the  gale  and  swept  across  the  harbor.  Coming  once  from  Jersey  in  a  tre- 
mendous south-easter,  the  steamer  I  was  on  was  taken  by  the  undertow 
swelling  up  into  a  huge  mound  of  green  water  as  it  fell  off  from  the  break- 
water; she  was  lifted  high  in  air,  whii'led  beyond  control  of  the  steersman, 
and  came  within  an  ace  of  crushing  in  her  side  against  the  lee  breakwater 
at  the  entrance.  They  concluded  not  to  venture  out  again  that  day,  but 
lay  snug  until  the  next  morning,  when  the  weather  moderated. 

On  the  esplanade  is  a  really  very  fine  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Prince 
Albert,  and  close  at  hand  is  a  bronze  plate  stating  that  the  queen  and  her 
consort  landed  on  that  spot  in  1846.  Immediately  adjoim'ng  stands  the 
parish  church,  as  it  is  called,  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  in  the  islands,  and 
in  some  respects  the  one  most  worthy  of  attention  for  architectural  beauty. 
The  style  is  Flamboyant  Gothic,  and  it  is  enriched  I)y  beautiful  stained 
windows.  Wandering  about  the  steep 
narrow    lanes    radiating    from    this  ^^ 

choice  and  venerable  relic  of  antiq- 
uity, one  is  astonished  to  find  such 
stern  massiveness  in  the  buildings, 
such  winding  irregularity  in  the  nar- 
row streets,  and  a  steepness  that  ne- 
cessitates the  most  curious  succession 
of  lona;  stairways,  with  cross -lanes  ^ 
meeting  at  the  landings  leading  up 
to  other  narrower  steps,  all  in  the 
most  quaint  and  unexpected  manner. 

The  new  town  may  be  said  to 
begin  with  St.  PauVs  Chapel,  and 
extends  back  of  the  old  town  north 
and  south,  generally  more  level,  and 
always  pleasing.  While  in  the  old 
town  the  houses  are  almost  entirely 
of  sombre  granite,  in  the  new  they 
are  as  universally  stuccoed,  and  tint- 
ed of  a  soft  ci'eam  or  brown  tint.  I 
think  it  would  be  difficult  within  the  same  space  to  find  elsewhere  so  many 
charming  streets  and  houses  as  in  St.  Peter's  Port,  giving  an  air  of  unos- 
tentatious competence.  On  almost  every  one  is  painted  either  the  family 
name  or  some  pleasing  title  in  English  or  French,  as  "Merida  Villa,"  or 
"  Pon  Repos,"  while  in  front  are  little  garden-plots,  neatly  kept,  or  rows  of 
ivied  elms;  ivy  also  clings  lovingly  to  the  surrounding  walls.     Everywhere 


MONLMENT    lO    PRINCE    At-BtHT,    OLEKNSEY. 


GO 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


MAKKET-PLACE    AT    ST.    PETER'S    POUT,    GUERNSEr. 


one  comes  across  these  cheerful,  home-like  streets,  leading  to  pleasant  in- 
land views,  with  a  central  spire  surmounting  some  time-worn  chapel  of 
])ast  ages,  where  still  the  villagers  meet  with  undiminislied  devotion. 

Not  an  unimportant  addition  to  the  pleasure  a  stranger  takes  in  ram- 
l)ling  about  St.  Peter's  Port  is  the  physical  beauty  of  those  he  meets.  We 
tind  here  the  pure  Norman  race,  the  same  as  that  which  conquered  Brit- 
ain, but,  unlike  that,  scarcely  mixed  with  Saxon  or  any  otlier  foreign 
blood.  The  men  have  a  fresh,  ruddy  complexion,  an  honest,  frank,  good- 
Inimored  but  manly  expression.  The  women  have  a  skin  remarkably  fair, 
delicate,  and  clear,  and  features  regular,  expressive,  and  often  beautiful. 
If  but  their  eyes  Avere  as  brilliant  and  eloquent  as  those  of  their  sisters  of 
Greece  or  America,  they  would  present  a  nearly  perfect  type  of  female 
beauty.  And  the  children  are,  of  course,  charming;  and  even  when  they 
run  out  of  the  peasant  houses  in  the  remote  districts  and  beg  the  passer- 
by for  "  doubles,"  there  is  a  witchery  about  them  seldom  found  in  beggars 
elsewhere.  But  to  speak  of  beggars  in  Guernsey  is  almost  absurd,  for 
extreme  poverty  is  nearly  unknown,  while  almost  every  tiller  of  the  land 
cultivates  a  patrimony  inherited  from  his  ancestors  for  many  centuries, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  find  evidences  of  squalor  in  the  island.  Even  the 
houses  of  the  peasantry  are  neatly  kept,  and  a  clean  lace  oi*  cambric  cur- 
tain veils  the  lower  windows  of  the  humblest  cots,  while  flowers  and  vines 
are  trained  on  the  window-seat  durino;  the  winter  season. 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


61 


The  language  is  the  old  Nonnan  French,  pure  and  simple,  although 
the  dialect  of  Guernsey  differs  slightly  from  that  of  Jersey.  English  is 
now  spoken  by  the  better  families,  and  often  understood  by  those  who  do 
not  use  it  among  themselves.  Services  in  many  of  the  churches,  and  all 
proceedings  in  the  courts  and  Legislature,  are  in  French.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  many,  the  islands  are  in  their  government  very  nearly  inde- 
pendent of  Great  Britain,  to  which  they  owe  a  sort  of  feudal  allegiance. 
In  the  transaction  of  their  own  affairs  they  are  practically  independent; 
and,  stranger  still,  Jersey  has  a  government  and  laws  of  its  own,  while 
Guernsey,  with  the  dependencies  of  Sark  and  Alderney,  is  ruled  by  still 
another  code  and  Legislature.  The  Legislature  consists  in  each  case  of  a 
Senate-house,  composed  of  the  bailiff,  or  chief-justice,  and  the  jurats,  and 
the  Assembly,  including  a  lai-ger  number,  called  the  States,  but  of  less 
influence.  The  laws  still  smack  of  the  rough  emergencies  of  tlie  Middle 
Ages,  and  are  sometimes  very  arbitrary.  Any  one  who  chooses  to  set  up 
a  claim  as  creditor  has  a  right,  on  his  bare  assertion,  to  seize  either  the 
person  or  the  property  of  the  alleged  debtor,  whether  a  native  or  a  stran- 
ger, and  the  debtor  has  no  redress ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  sheriff  cannot 
enter  a  house  unless  the  door  be  opened  voluntarily,  and,  if  he  desire  to 


CHILDREN     BEGGING     FOR    "  DOUBLES." 


G2 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


arrest  a  man  or  woman,  mnst  sometimes  resort  to  artifice  to  decoy  the  vic- 
tim into  liis  clutches,  as,  for  example,  to  send  an  ally  into  the  house  on 
some  errand,  who  can  open  the  door  when  the  sheriff  knocks. 

Notwithstanding  this  semi-independence,  and  the  fact  that  French  is 
the  popular  and  official  language,  the  queen  boasts  no  subjects  more  loyal 
than  these  Normans  of  the  Isles.  To  question  their  loyalty  is  to  inflict 
insult  almost  amounting  to  injury.  Some  of  England's  most  distinguished 
soldiers  and  sailors  have  (;ome  from  these  islands,  where  their  names  arc 
cherished  with  patriotic  pride.  More  than  this:  it  is  the  common  opinion 
here  that,  instead  of  being  a  fief  of  England,  England  herself  owes  her 
allegiance  to  the  lords  of  the  Norman  Isles.  For  why:  these  islands  are 
a  part  of  Normandy,  and  were  such  when  William  of  Normandy  reduced 


V--1 


DOLMEN     AND    MAKTELLO    TOWER,    GUEItNSEY. 


Britain  to  subjection  to  Norman  rule.  During  all  the  changes  that  have 
happened  in  the  succeeding  centuries,  they  alone  have  survived  of  the 
Norman  territory,  and  have  preserved  a  remnant  of  that  race  intact  and 
unmixed  which  laid  England  at  its  feet  and  has  kept  her  subject  ever 
since.  This  is  not  so  absurd,  after  all.  It  is  quite  as  reasonable  for  these 
little  islands  to  be  lords  paramount  of  England  as  for  the  comparatively 
small  England  to  hold  sway,  as  once  she  did,  over  the  whole  of  North 
America,  Hindostan,  Australia,  etc. ;  and  the  apostolic  succession  of  the 
Church  is  scarcely  as  clear  as  the  descent  of  these  Channel  Islanders  from 
tlie  fellow-countrymen  of  William  the  Conqueror  and  Richard  Coeur  de 
Lion.  It  may  be  well  to  add  here  that  one  law  exists  in  Guernsey  advan- 
tageous to  foreigners  residing  within  its  limits :  they  are  not  subject  to  the 
payment  of  taxes  unless  holding  real  estate  in  the  island. 

The  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  of  the  group  was  for  several  centuries 
under  the  control  of  the  Bishop  of  Coutances ;  but  after  the  doctrines  of 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS.  63 

the  Eelormation  were  universally  accepted  by  the  people,  tliey  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  diocese  of  the  Bishop  of  Winchester,  who  is  represented  in 
each  island  by  a  dean.  The  islanders  are,  with  few  exceptions,  good  Prot- 
estants ;  churches  and  chapels  abound,  and  are  generally  well  attended. 
Puseyisni  and  ritualism  have,  so  far,  made  little  progress  here  ;  the  Low- 
Church  still  continues  popular,  while  the  Non-conformists  of  all  the  lead- 
ing sects  are  in  a  floui'ishing  condition.  Superstition  is  gradually  losing 
its  hold,  and  mucli  genuine  and  intelligent  piety  doubtless  exists  in  some 
of  these  islands.  But  in  the  hamlets  most  remote  from  town,  and  among 
the  older  people,  curious  superstitions  still  obtain  belief.  On  Christmas- 
night  there  are  some  even  in  St.  Peter's  Port  who  will  on  no  account  go 
to  a  well  to  draw  water.  Others  will  not  venture  into  a  stable  at  mid- 
niglit  lest  they  should  surprise  the  cattle,  asses,  and  sheep  on  their  knees 
Avorshipping  the  infant  Saviour.  A  photographer  is  sometimes  regarded 
as  dealing  in  the  black-art,  and  some  refuse  so  far  to  compromise  their 
character  as  to  allow  themselves  to  be  photographed.  In  Guernsey,  at  St. 
George,  is  a  well  called  "  Holy  Well,"  still  visited  by  damsels,  for  on  the 
surface  of  its  waters  maidens  are  said  to  be  able  to  see  the  face  of  their 
future  husbands.  In  Jersey,  near  St.  Clement's,  is  the  Witches'  Kock, 
where,  it  is  said,  the  witches  hold  their  Sabbath :  the  belief  in  witchcraft 
is  not  entirely  extinct  here.  The  marks  on  that  rock  are  confidently  as- 
serted to  be  the  footprints  made  by  his  Satanic  majesty  during  the  visits 
which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  he  makes  quite  too  frequently  in  Jersey  as  well 
as  elsewhere. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  stranger  hears  of,  on  coming  to  these  islands, 
is  the  exclusiveness  of  the  upper  class,  their  hauteur  and  pride,  and  the 
contempt  in  which  a  tradesman  is  held.  It  is  stated  that  a  gentleman 
will  be  on  very  good  terms  with  a  tradesman  in  his  shop,  but  will  not 
condescend  to  recognize  him  in  the  street,  while  at  balls  the  line  is  drawn 
with  painful  distinctness.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  said  that  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  "sixties"  and  the  "forties,"  as  the  two  classes  are  termed, 
is  wearing  away.  For  an  exclusiveness  so  much  more  pronounced  than 
usual  even  in  an  English  colony  there  was  doubtless  some  ground  origi- 
nally, arising  from  local  causes,  which  is  now  forgotten. 

St.  Sampson's  is  the  only  other  town  of  any  size  in  Guernsey  after  St. 
Peter's  Port.  It  is  named  after  some  mythical  Irish  saint  who  came  here 
in  the  sixth  century.  The  place  is  about  two  miles  from  the  capital,  the 
I'oad  being  by  the  sea,  skirted  with  houses  on  one  side  and  a  sea-wall  on 
the  other,  with  here  and  there  an  old  martello  tower  or  a  bit  of  an  ivied 
castle  to  relieve  the  view.     The  port  of  St.  Sampson's  is  a  good  one  of  its 


64 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


size.     I  counted  as  many  as  sixteen  vessels  there,  loading  with  granite  for 
England.     The  granite  trade  is  the  most  important  business  of  Guernsey. 


HAUTEVILLE,    VICTOR     HUGO'S    LATE     KESIDENCE    IN    GUERNSEY. 

The  clmrch  of  St.  Sampson's  was  consecrated  in  1111.  It  is  tlie  oldest 
building  in  the  island,  but  offers  no  architectural  attractions.  More  in- 
teresting are  the  Vale  Castle  adjoining  and  the  Druidic  remains.  Long 
before  Rollo  the  Norman  visited  and  conquered  these  islands,  long  befoi'e 
St.  Sampson  and  Julius  Csesar,  the  Celt  had  braved  these  perilous  waters 
in  his  rude  bark,  and  had  scaled  these  almost  inaccessible  shores.  Here, 
in  those  ages  lost  in  the  vague  mists  of  unrecorded  antiquity,  the  Druid 
practised  his  mysterious  and  bloody  rites,  and  left  numerous  dolmens  and 
cromlechs  to  tell  the  tale  of  a  race  that  would  otherwise  have  passed  away 
from  these  isles  into  the  utter  silence  of  oblivion.  Many  of  these  remark- 
able vestiges  have  unfortunately  been  destroyed ;  of  those  which  remain, 
one  of  tlie  most  interesting  is  at  KAncresse  Common,  near  St.  Sampson's. 
It  is  covered  by  seven  blocks,  of  which  the  largest,  estimated  to  weigh 
thirty  tons,  is  17  feet  long  by  10  wide  and  4|^  feet  thick,  while  the  whole 
dolmen  is  45  feet  long  by  13  in  widtli.  Under  the  floor  were  found  one 
hundred  and  llfty  urns,  human  bones,  amulets,  and  the  like. 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


e^o 


St.  Sampson's  and  the  adjacent  portion  of  the  little  island  are  also  in- 
teresting, as  many  of  the  scenes  of  Victor  Hngo's  impossible  "  Toilers  of 
the  Sea"  are  laid  there.  There  is  no  foundation  for  the  story,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  but  it  is  very  well  told,  and  gives  incidentally  vivid  and  often 
truthful  descriptions  of  the  scenery  and  people,  and  should  be  I'cad  by 
every  one  contemplating  a  visit  to  the  islands.  Passing  throngh  the  old 
part  of  St.  Peter's  Port,  by  the  markets  (well  stocked  with  most  excellent 
tish,  beef  of  a  very  superior  quality,  and  line  vegetables),  and  proceedhig 
in  the  rear  of  Fort  George,  one  comes  to  Hauteville,  for  many  years  the 
residence  of  Victor  Hugo.  He  is  now  in  Paris,  but  his  mansion  remains 
furnished  as  he  left  it,  in  a  manner  highly  characteristic  of  the  distin- 
guished author.  Keeping  on  in  a  southerly  direction,  one  comes  to  the 
south  side  of  the  island,  to  the  artist  or  scientific  student  searching  for 
studies  in  geology  or  crustaceology,  by  far  the  most  interesting  part  of 
Guernsey.  As  Guernsey  is  triangular  in  form,  and  only  nine  and  a  half 
miles  on  its  longest  side,  much  the  pleasantest  way  to  see  its  beauties  is  on 
foot.  The  southern  coast  is  indented  with  several  small  but  exceedingly 
beautiful  bays,  presenting  a  great  variety  of  granitic  forms,  often  almost 
volcanic  in  grotesqueness  of  shape,  the  cliifs  rising  sometimes  over  three 
hundred  feet,  often  perpendicularly,  from  the  silvery  beaches  of  soft  white 


a'Aiiii-iiorsio    iii;.sci:iiiEii    i 


sand  at  their  base.  Wild  caverns  are  hollowed  into  the  sides  of  the  cliffs, 
and  rivulets,  under  the  sylvan  covert  of  many  varieties  of  vines  and  shrubs, 
descend  from  the  plateau  above  to  these  bays.  Le  Moulin  Iluet  Bay,  Icart 
Point,  Petit  Bot  Bay,  the  Gouffre,  Gull  Ptock,  Pleinmont,  are  in  turn  the 

o 


60 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


favorites  of  the  eiitliusiast  who  visits  them;  but  the  stern,  precipitous,  tlniii- 
dei'-scarred  Titanic  cliffs  of  Pleinmont  seemed  to  me  the  grandest  phice 
for  a  sea-view  in  Guernsey,  and  one  of  the  finest  to  be  found  anywliere. 
Near  the  brow  of  tliese  precipices  Victor  lingo  lays  the  scene  of  some  of 
the  most  striking  passages  in  his  Ijook.  The  small  guard-house,  which 
he  represents  to  have  been  haunted,  and  makes  the  rendezvous  of  smug- 
glers, stands  there  still,  entirely  alone  on  the  cliff. 

In  plain  sight  from  Guernsey  in  good  weatlier,  twenty  miles  from  land 
to  land,  in  an  east -south -east  direction,  lies  the  island  of  Jersey,  twelve 


THE    CORBIERE    AND    LIGHT-HOUSE,    JERSEY. 


miles  long  and  seven  wide,  in  area  nearlj^  twice  the  size  of  Gnernse}'.  St. 
Ilelier's,  the  chief  town,  contains  over  30,000  inhabitants,  and  is  situated 
on  the  bay  of  St.  Aubin,  a  most  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  skirted  by  a  level 
sand  beach,  flanked  by  high  slopes  and  cliffs,  and  ornamented  on  the  oj)- 
posite  side  by  the  charming  little  town  of  St.  Anbin.  The  approach  to  St. 
Helier's  from  Guernsey  is  around  the  south-western  angle  of  the  island, 
bristling  with  reefs,  showing  their  teeth  to  the  mariner  in  a  most  threaten- 
ing manner.  Of  these  the  most  formidable  is  the  Corbiere,  or  "  Sailors' 
Dread,"  the  haunt  of  innumerable  coi'bieres,  or  sea-crows.  A  light-house 
has  recently  been  erected  on  the  liighest  point,  but  it  is  a  most  formidable 


TIIK   CHANNEL   ISLANDS.  67 

foe,  as  the  M-riter  can  testify  from  personal  observation,  having  passed  it 
twice,  in  a  heavy  gale  of  wind  from  the  south-east,  much  nearei-  than  was 
agreeable.  It  must  be  owned  that  few  spots  present  a  finer  op])ortunily 
for  studying  the  effect  of  a  raging  sea  on  a  rugged  shore.  The  undertow 
meeting  the  waves  formed  by  the  wind,  and  again  affected  by  the  diverse 
currents  and  tides,  which  here  rise  forty  feet,  produces  off  the  Corbi^re,  as 
off  the  Caskets,  waves  of  exti-aordhiary  lieight,  grandeur,  and  fury. 

The  entrance  to  the  port  is  very  dangerous,  owing  to  the  reefs  that 
skirt  the  channel  and  extend  miles  to  the  eastward.  The  harbor  is  almost 
entirely  artificial.  On  the  left,  on  entering  the  mole,  is  a  higli  rock  sur- 
mounted by  the  remains  of  a  hermitage  many  centuries  old.  St.  Ilelier, 
Hilary,  or  Ililarius,  was  one  of  those  shadowy  Irish  saints  whose  apocry- 
phal adventui-es  serve  to  adorn  the  saints'  calendar  with  a  species  of  pious 
"Arabian  Nights"  tales.  From  what  is  said  of  the  good  people  of  St. 
Ilelier's,  one  might  infer  that  they  had  made  the  mistake  of  spelling  his 
name  Hilarious,  and  suited  their  lives  to  the  name.  To  eschew  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil  is  not  enough  the  custom  in  this  insular  Paris. 
Just  northward  of  the  Hermitage,  on  a  rock  of  some  height,  stands  Eliza- 
beth Castle,  a  rather  picturesque  pile,  of  which  a  portion  once  formed  an 
abbey.  The  town  is  not  very  pleasing  near  the  port,  the  streets  being  nar- 
row and  dark,  but  it  rambles  up  on  higher  ground,  and  gi'adually  assumes 
a  more  cheerful  and  inviting  aspect.  The  shop  windows  often  make  a 
display  of  wares  quite  metropolitan.  The  markets  are  well  worth  a  visit, 
and  the  market-women  sometimes  dress  in  a  costume  slightly  peculiar, 
the  only  noticeable  local  costume  in  the  islands.  Generally  the  people  of 
tliese  islands  dress  and  wear  their  hair  with  excellent  taste,  combining  the 
English  common-sense  ideas  of  comfort  with  a  certain  French  giacefulness 
that  one  too  often  fails  to  see  in  England. 

Odd  as  it  may  sound,  there  are  two  Lilliputian  railroads  in  Jersey, 
starting  from  St.  Ilelier's  —  one  rniming  five  miles  to  Gorey,  called  the 
Eastern  Railway,  limited  ;  the  otlier  also  extending  about  five  miles,  to  St. 
Aubin.  The  latter  cost  a  large  amount,  and  swamped  two  or  three  local 
banks,  producing  much  business  prostration,  and  still  further  reducing  the 
value  of  local  cui-rency.  They  seem  to  have  been  boiTowing  lessons  from 
the  United  States  in  this  island  :  paper  money  is  issued  in  the  most  reck- 
less manner,  and  much  enterprise,  in  the  form  of  hollow  bubbles  of  specni- 
lation,  has  enriched  a  few  and  impoverished  many;  but  the  law,  mindful 
of  the  claims  of  the  sufferers  and  what  it  owes  to  the  defense  of  society, 
has  made  an  example  of  some  of  the  leading  offenders,  from  which  we,  in 
■  turn,  can  take  a  lesson  from  the  island  of  Jersey.     Considerable  shipping 


68  THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 

is  owned  at  St.  Ilelier's,  employed  in  foreign  conimerce  or  in  the  cod-fish- 


eries. 


After  St.  Ilelier's,  or  rather  before  it  in  interest  among  the  objects  to 
attract  the  visitor  to  Jersey,  is  Mount  Oi-gueil   Castle,  at  the   village  of 


MOUNT    OBGUEIL    CASTLE,  JERSEY. 


Goi'ey,  on  the  eastern  coast.  It  is  now  dismantled,  and  occupied  only  by 
a  warder,  but  this  makes  it  all  the  more  attractive.  Perched  on  a  rock 
washed  by  the  waves,  the  highest  parapet  of  the  venerable  pile  is  270  feet 
above  the  sea.  Built  of  stone  the  same  as  the  rocks  on  which  it  is 
founded,  it  looks  in  manj^  parts  almost  like  a  portion  of  the  cliff.  Setting 
aside  the  legends  about  Julius  Caesar,  who  is  made  responsible  for  the  par- 
entage of  half  the  castles  in  Europe,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Mount  Orgueil 
was  occupied,  if  not  built,  by  Rollo,  the  grandsire  of  William  the  Con- 
queror, whose  escutcheon  is  still  quite  distinct  over  the  main  entrance  to 
the  keep.  The  crypt  under  the  chapel,  with  a  marble  statue  of  the  Vir- 
gin and  Child,  is  in  good  preservation ;  also  the  apartments  occupied  by 
Charles  II.  while  seeking  an  asylum  in  this  island,  which  remained  faith- 
ful to  the  house  of  Stuart.  These  apartments  have  unfortunately  been 
modernized  recently  for  barracks,  although  untenanted  at  present.  The 
guard-room  where  military  courts  were  held  is  gone,  but  the  adjoining  cell 
wdiere  criminals  were  executed  remains,  with  vestiges  of  a  secret  staircase 
which  communicated  with  the  keep  and  the  sally-port.  The  dungeon  is  a 
ghastly  j)lace,  but  the  most  interesting  spot  in  the  castle  is  the  dark,  dismal 
cell,  some  six  feet  by  four,  with  but  a  small  loop-hole  over  the  sea,  where 
Prynne,  the  Puritan,  was  confined  for  three  years.  He  had  ample  time  to 
compose  poeti-y  or  philosophies  in  these  close  quarters,  although  the  scene 
was  not  altogether  congenial  to  tranquil  meditation.  That  rheumatism, 
megrims,  and  misanthropy  did  not  quite  corrode  his  bones  or  his  intellect 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


CO 


is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  tried  to  write  verse,  as  sliown  by  tlie  fol- 
lowing doggerel  lines,  besides  certain  moral  essays : 

"Mount  Oi-gtieil  Castle  is  a  lofty  pile, 
Within  tiie  eastern  part  of  Jersey  Isle, 
Seated  npon  a  rock  full  large  and  high, 
Close  by  the  sea-shore,  next  to  Norinandie, 
Near  to  a  sandy  bay,  where  boats  do  ride 
Within  a  peere,  safe  from  both  wind  and  tide,"  etc. 

From  the  battlements  rnsty  chains  still  hang,  by  which  criminals  in  those 
rough  ages  were  suspended  alive. 

The  view  from  the  top  commands  the  coast  of  Normandy  and  Brit- 
tany, including  the  Cathedral  of  Coutances  on  clear  days,  and,  besides  a 
prospect  of  the  landscape  of  Jersey,  gives  one  an  idea  of  the  dangers 
which  beset  the  mariner  in  these  waters.  Scylla  and  Charybdis  were 
very  trifling  affairs  compared  with  the  chevaux-de-frise  of  rocks  under  and 
above  water  which  encircle  these  islands.  If  the  sailor  escapes  the  Cas- 
kets, the  lal)yrinthine  snares  of  the  Little  Russel  are  ready  to  trip  him ; 


THE     PINNACLE,  JERSEY. 


or,  if  sailing  for  Jersey  or  St  Malo,  the  St.  Roquier  or  tlie  Hanways  lie 
in  wait  for  him,  or  the  Paternostei's,  so  terrible  that  they  are  thus  called, 


70 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


perhaps,  because  there  is  nothing  left  to  liim  wlio  encounters  their  savage 
blows  but  to  say  his  prayers.     Escaping  these,  he  still  has  the  Corbiere  or 


ST.    BKELADE's    CHDRCH,    JERSEY. 


La  Couchiere  to  avoid,  and  is  not  yet  past  dangers,  for  by  no  means  the 
least  savage  yet  lie  near  his  path — the  Chansseys,  and  the  terrible  Min- 
quieres,  fronting  the  coast  of  France  many  miles,  like  a  picket-guard;  and 
the  most  awful  and  solitary  of  all,  the  Douvi-es,  like  an  advanced  post  in 
the  ocean,  solemn  an.d  implacable.  Tlie  coast  of  Jersey  is  also  every- 
where dangerous  of  approach,  and  rises  in  some  places  over  three  hun- 
dred feet  on  the  northern  side.  Many  very  bold,  striking  cliffs  are  to  be 
seen  there,  many  rocks  of  i-emarkable  form  and  size.  The  Jersey  granite 
is  considerably  warmer  in  color  than  that  of  Guernsey,  Mdu'cli  renders  its 
cliffs  sliglitly  less  stern,  and  moi*o  in  harmony  with  the  vivid  green  of  the 
surges  that  lash  their  feet  and  hll  their  vast  caverns  with  the  di'ead  thun- 
ders of  the  storm.  Boulet  Bay,  Greve  de  Lecq,  Gr^ve  an  Langon,  Cape 
(xrosnez,  the  Pimiacle,  or  La  Pule,  at  L'Etac,  are  a  few  of  the  man_y  points 
deserving  the  investigation  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  tourist,  the  natu- 
ralist, and  the  artist.  St.  Brelade's  Church  is  the  oldest  building  in  Jer- 
sey, and  is  still  well  preserved,  and  quite  picturesque. 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


71 


The  interior  of  the  island  is  altogether  belied  by  its  coast  scenery,  for 
it  is  highly  rustic  and  idyllic,  intersected  everywhere  by  winding  lanes 
almost  concealed  by  hedges,  and  banks  abounding  in  ferns,  mosses,  and 
thick-embowering  vines  and  shrubs.  So  very  winding  and  intricate,  in 
fact,  are  the  rural  lanes  of  Jersey  that  a  cause  is  assigned  for  it :  the 
island  was  in  early  ages  infested  by  pirates,  who  carried  off  the  people  as 
well  as  their  goods  to  that  degree  that,  in  order  to  mislead  the  freebooters 
and  make  it  easier  to  cut  them  off  before  they  could  reach  the  sea,  the 
paths  were  twisted  into  a  species  of  labyrinth.  These  lanes  ai-e,  how- 
ever, gradually  being  replaced  by  more  direct  roads,  and  many  of  the  old 
avenues  of  trees  are  falling  before  the  axe  of  improvement  or  necessity. 

Twenty  miles  in  a  north-easterly  direction  from  Guernsey  lies  Alder- 
ney,  called  by  the  Normans  Aurigny,  in  most  respects  the  least  interesting 
of  the  group,  although  the  abruptness  with  which  its  elevated  table-land 
phniges  into  the  ocean  presents  some  very  striking  scenes.  But  the  table- 
land itself  is  generally  Hat  and  bare,  and  the  town  of  St.  Anne's  offers 
few  points  of  interest.  The  island  is  but  three  miles  and  a  half  long.  It 
claims  our  attention,  however,  on  two  accounts.  On  its  north-western  side 
is  Braye  Harbor,  celebrated  for  the  breakwater  or  mole  which  the  English 
Government  has  been  building  for  many  years  at  an  enormous  expense  as 
a  naval  station  and  harbor  of  refuge,  to  offset  the  corresponding  port  of 
Cherbourg  in  Normandy,  and  enable  the  English  to  command  the  Chan- 


VUAICKING. 


nel.      This  breakwater  has,  very  strangely,  been   constructed   in   a  most 
blunderiu"-  manner,  at  least  in  its  form,  so  that  it  presents  itself  to  the  sea 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


in  such  a  way  that  it  often  suffers  serious  damag-e,  and  will  eventually 
have  to  be  altered.  Alderney  is  also  known  for  the  breed  of  cows  which 
bears  its  name.     These  are  so  called  probably  because  the  first  ones  ex- 


CREUX    HARBOR,   SAKE. 


])orted  were  from  that  island,  althou2;li  now  very  few  that  are  sold  as 
Alderney  cows  are  directly  from  there.  Those  of  that  breed  actually  ex- 
ported from  these  islands  are  generally  from  Jersey,  where  the  cattle  are 
much  the  same  as  those  of  Alderney,  small,  with  tapering  heads,  and  of  a 
delicate  fawn-color.  The  Guernsey  cow  is  esteemed  by  some  even  moi-e 
highly  tlian  the  Alderney  ;  it  is  rathei-  larger,  and  moi'e  of  a  red,  brindled, 
in  color.  The  cows  are  milked  three  times  daily,  and  the  milk  is  churned 
without  skimming.  One  pound  of  butter  a  day  is  by  no  means  an  uncom- 
mon yield  for  a  good  cow.  The  cow  cabbage  is  made  to  reacli  a  size  so 
large  that  the  leaves  are  used  to  wrap  the  butter  in  for  market,  while  the 
stalks  are  varnished  and  armed  witli  fei-rules,  and  extensively  used  at  St. 
Helier's  for  canes.  The  cows  are  very  carefully  coddled.  The  grass  they 
feed  on  is  highly  enriched  by  the  vraic,  a  species  of  sea-weed  gathered 
fi'om  the  reefs  at  low  tide.  There  are  two  vraic  harvests  appointed  by 
the  Government — one  in  the  spring,  the  other  in  August,  although  it  is 
gathered  at  other  times  in  siuall  quantities.  All  hands  turn  out  in  the 
season  with  boats  and  carts,  frequently  at  night,  and  it  is  a  very  lively, 
picturesque  occupation,  though  often  attended  with  risk  and  loss  of  life 
from  the  overloading  of  boats  or  sudden  rising  of  the  tide.     The  cows  are 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


73 


always  tethered  when  feeding :  they  eat  less  in  tliis  way,  really  giving 
more  milk  than  if  glutted  with  food  ;  and  wliile  tliey  are  cropping  the 
grass  on  one  side  of  a  field,  it  has  time  to  spring  np  on  the  other  side. 
When  they  have  done  eating,  they  are  at  once  removed  from  the  sun  into 
the  shade.  The  breed  is  preserved  from  intermixture  with  other  breeds 
by  strong  and  arbitrary  laws  very  carefully  enforced.  No  cattle  are  al- 
lowed to  enter  the  islands  except  for  slaughter  within  a  certain  number 
of  days,  with  the  exception  of  oxen  for  draught. 

Opposite  the  eastern  coast  of  Guernsey  are  the  islands  Ilerm  and 
Jethou,  about  three  miles  distant  from  St.  Peter's  Port.  The  former  is 
a  mile  and  a  half  long,  high,  and  in  some  places  very  bold,  and  possesses 
withal  a  sand  beach  abounding  to  a  very  unusual  degree  with  shells  of 
great  variety  and  beauty.  It  is  chiefly  valuable,  however,  at  present  as  a 
resort  for  sportsmen.  Two  or  three  liouses  are  on  the  island,  including  a 
hotel,  much  resorted  to  in  sunnner.     Jethou  is  close  at  liand,  but  is  much 


ENXUANCi;     TO     THE    CBEUX    LANDING-PLACE,    SAKK. 


smaller,  and  tenanted  cliiefly  by  rabbits.  Beyond  these  islands,  a  little 
more  to  the  southward,  and  only  seven  miles  from  Guernse}',  is  Sark,  one 
of  the  smallest,  most  curious,  most  interesting,  most  elusive,  most  deso- 


T4 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


late,  most  beautiful,  most  dangerous,  most  sublime,  of  the  Atlantic  islands. 
The  old  legend-makers,  who  have  sung  such  weird  tales  of  phantom  isl- 


THE    AUTELETS,   SAUK. 


ands,  now  appearing  close  at  hand,  then  vanishing  like  enchantment,  must 
have  drawn  their  inspiration  from  watching  Sark  from  Guernsey.  On 
some  days  it  is  so  distinct,  and  looks  so  near,  that  cliffs  and  houses  and 
even  men  can  be  distinguished  with  the  naked  eye,  and  the  soft  j)lay  of 
light  and  shade  and  color  on  the  rocks.  Tiie  next  day  one  shall  look  in 
the  same  direction,  and  he  will  discern  with  difficulty  the  faint  hazy  out- 
line of  what  seems  an  island  forty  miles  away.  The  approach  to  the 
island  is  almost  always  hazardous,  and  except  in  the  best  w^eather  no  boat 
can  land  or  leave,  owing  to  the  maelstrom-like  velocity  and  turbulence  of 
the  tides,  which  rush  raging  in  all  directions  around  the  shore,  and  fill  the 
hollow  caves  with  melancholy  dirges,  as  for  the  many  wrecked  on  that 
merciless  coast.  The  late  Seigneur  of  Sark  was  lost  off  Point  Nez,  and 
the  present  Seigneur  and  his  family  have  had  an  escape  bordering  on 
the  miraculous.  Sometimes,  even  in  summer,  weeks  will  pass  without  the 
possibility  of  communicating  with  the  island.  In  winter  one  must  depend 
entirely  on  Sark  boats  of  seven  or  eight  tons  burden,  strong  and  weath- 
erly.  In  summer  a  small  steamer  plies  in  good  weather  between  Guern- 
sey and  Sark;  but  it  cannot  enter  the  port,  which  is  doubtless  the  smallest 
in  Europe.     It  is  formed  by  a  breakMater  thrown  across  a  miniature  bay 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


70 


called  the  Crenx,  A  little  beach  extends  aroiitul  the  base  of  the  vertutal 
cliffs,  and  the  interior  of  the  island  is  only  reached  by  an  artificial  open- 
ing actually  pierced  through  the  surrounding  wall  of  granite. 

Sark  is  about  three  miles  and  a  half  long,  and  is  divided  into  Great 
and  Little  Sark,  the  latter  being  a  small  peninsula  at  the  southern  end, 
united  to  the  main  portion  by  a  curtain  of  rock  some  two  hundred  yards 
long,  called  the  Coupe.  It  is  three  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  on  one 
side  literally  vertical,  on  the  other  nearly  so.  The  path  at  the  top  is  not 
over  five  feet  wide.  It  is  said  one  person  who  lived  on  Little  Sark  never 
dared  during  a  lifetime  to  cross  over  the  Coupe.  Another  old  fellow,  who 
used  to  like  to  take  his  grog  of  an  evening  in  Great  Sark,  would,  on  re- 
turning to  Little  Sark  at  night,  walk  several  times  over  a  log  that  lay  near 
the  Coupe.  If  the  result  was  satisfactory  to  his  equilibrium,  he  would 
then  venture  to  reel  across  the  Coupe,  The  cliffs  surrounding  the  island 
furnish  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  the  grand,  the  wild,  the  picturesque. 
The  rocks  are  clothed  with  highly  colored  vines  and  lichens ;  the  magniti- 


CUEUX    UU     DEUKIBLE,    SARK. 


cent  caves,  seemingly  the  abode  of  sea-fairies,  teem  with  varied  and  beau- 
tiful submarine  vegetation  and  di\erse  forms  of  life,  shell-fish,  mollusca. 


76 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


algae,  and  the  like.     Our  limits  forbid  more  than  allusion  to  such  spots 
as  the  Autelets,  the  Creux  du  Derrible,  or  D'lxcart  Bay. 

The  interior  of  the  island  is  devoted  to  agriculture  and  pastui-age,  and. 


/J 


I  ^^HS^^^^Ssci -- 


-i-V^  "  ;- 


NATURAL    BRIDGE,    PONT-DU-MOULIN,    SARK. 

although  not  generally  wooded,  and  destitute  of  streams,  presents  many 
choice  bits  of  rural  underwood.  The  avenue  leading  to  the  Seigneurie  is 
exceedingly  beautiful,  and  the  building  itself  is  a  veiy  pleasing  object. 
The  huts  of  the  peasantry  are  often  of  the  most  massive  construction, 
having  walls  six  feet  thick. 

Those  who  suppose  Monaco,  or  Andorra,  or  San  Marino  to  be  the 
smallest  state  in  Europe  must  awake  from  their  delusion.  Sark  has,  by 
the  last  census,  only  546  inhabitants,  and  is  practically  an  independent 
state,  owing  only  a  feudal  allegiance  to  Great  Britain  by  way  of  Guernsey. 
Traces  of  the  Druids  exist,  showing  their  early  occupation  of  the  island. 
In  the  Dark  Ages  it  was  the  haunt  of  pirates,  wlio  from  .this  almost  inac- 
cessible eyry  swooped  down  on  ships  passing  the  Channel.  After  they 
were  exterminated,  the  Fi-ench  lield  Sark  some  time ;  but  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth  it  was  taken  by  a  very  ingenious  stratagem,  of  which  only  a 
brief  recital  can  be  given  here.     It  seems  a  galley  anchored  off  the  island 


THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS.  77 

under  pretense  of  being  a  trader  whose  captain  liad  died  on  the  voyage. 
To  consign  a  Christian  man  to  the  deep  seemed  a  gratuitous  sin,  when 
Sark  was  so  near  at  hand.  Would  the  garrison  allow  his  comrades  to 
land  the  cofhn  and  bury  him  in  consecrated  ground  ?  They  would  go 
ashore  unarmed,  and  would  allow  themselves  to  be  searched  on  landing. 
This  request  was  granted  after  due  deliberation.  The  coffin  was  landed, 
and  in  solenni  procession  borne  into  the  cliurch.  The  door  was  then 
closed  suddenly,  and  before  the  French  could  discover  the  object  of  this 
manceuvre,  the  coffin,  which  was  filled  with  arms,  was  broken  open,  and, 
arming  themselves,  the  sailors  rushed  out  and  cut  down  the  French  right 
and  left.  In  their  panic  some  threw  themselves  from  the  cliffs,  the  rest 
surrendered.     Since  that  time  Sark  has  continued  under  the  English  flag. 

The  Seigneur  is  feudal  lord  of  the  island,  and  shares  the  government 
with  the  other  landholders,  about  forty  in  all.  The  worthy  pastor,  Mr, 
Cauchmeyer,  a  Swiss,  has  not  been  off  the  island  for  thirty-seven  years. 

I  can  heartily  and  truthfully  recommend  the  invalid  and  pleasure- 
seeker  to  give  these  islands  a  trial — with  a  bit  of  advice  on  a  point  not 
always  regarded  by  persons  culpably  foolhardy  or  totally  ignorant  of 
boat-sailing,  especially  in  these  very  dangerous  waters :  never  set  out  in 
a  boat  here,  or  undertake  to  go  to  Sark  or  any  of  the  islands,  if  the. boat- 
men are  reluctant  to  trj'  it,  or  if  you  are  advised  by  the  natives  to  wait 
for  a  change  of  weather. 


seigneur's    H0U8E,    SARK. 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 

My  attention  was  fii'st  called  to  the  Magdalen  Islands,  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence,  when  I  sailed  in  the  A7i?ia  Maria  fishing  schooner. 
The  skipper  had  often  cruised  in  their  neighborliood,  and  strongly  advised 
me  to  visit  them.  Accordingly,  I  packed  my  kit  and  started  in  search  of 
this  terra  incognita,  in  September — two  months  too  late  to  see  them  if 
one  consults  his  personal  comfort,  although  really  the  best  season  if  the 
tourist  wishes  to  gain  a  clear  notion  of  the  savage  character  of  the  islands, 
and  the  waters  which  encircle  them,  and  of  the  isolated  life  which  the 
islanders  lead.  I  went  by  way  of  Prince  Edward  Island,  and  found  it 
no  laughing-matter  either  to  reach  or  leave  these  dunes  of  sand,  even  so 
eai'ly  in  the  autumn,  although  they  are  but  fifty-six  miles  due  north  from 
Eastern  Point,  Pi'ince  Edward  Island  (the  distance  from  Souris,  where  the 
boat  touches,  to  Havre  Aubert,  Andierst  Island, -being  but  eighty  miles). 
Twice  a  month,  until  navigation  closes,  the  steamer  Albert  runs  from 
Pictou  to  the  Magdalens,  touching  at  Souris  to  take  the  mails  when  the 
weather  allows  her  to  enter  the  exposed  port  of  Soui-is.  But  her  move- 
ments are  very  uncertain,  and  tlie  sleepless  vigilance  which  is  said  to  be 
the  price  of  liberty  is  trifling  compai'ed  with  the  watchfulness  required  on 
the  part  of  the  voyager  who  has  made  up  his  mind  to  reach  the  Magdalen 
Islands,  and  to  reacli  tliem  b}'  the  steamer  Albert  from  Souris.  No  one 
could  tell  me  tlie  exact  day  or  hour  she  was  to  be  looked  for,  and  a  gale 
of  wind  about  the  time  we  might  begin  to  expect  her  seemed  to  render 
it  very  uncertain  whether  she  would  touch  at  Souris  at  all ;  but  the  post- 
master promised  to  give  me  prompt  information  wlien  tliey  came  for  the 
mail-bag.  At  nine  in  the  evening,  the  wind  having  moderated,  the  whistle 
of  the  steamer  was  heard  shrieking  in  the  port.  I  ran  to  the  hotel  for  my 
carpet-bag,  but  the  postmaster  had,  of  course,  forgotten  to  send  me  word 
according  to  promise,  and  every  one  at  the  hotel  had  gone  to  an  itinerant 
sliow.  With  the  bag  on  my  shouldei-,  I  ran  a  mile,  and  was  able  to  clam- 
bei"  over  the  side  of  the  steamer  iust  as  she  was  shoving  off  from  the 


THE  MAGDALEN  ISLANDS.  79 

breakwater.  A  sliglit  detention  of  five  minutes,  owing  to  a  loose  screw 
in  the  engine,  was  all  that  enabled  nie  to  catch  the  boat.  The  Albert 
proved  to  be,  without  exception,  the  most  clumsy  and  dangerous  craft  I 
ever  stepped  foot  on,  considering  the  pei'ilous  nature  of  the  waters  she  nav- 
igates. The  weather  was  fine  and  the  wind  fair,  so  we  managed  to  aver- 
age nearly  six  knots,  which  took  us  in  sight  of  the  ishinds  at  sum-ise.  It 
was  a  clear,  cheerful  day  after  the  storm.  Nearly  a  hundred  sail  of  our 
Gloucester  fishermen  dotted  the  horizon,  and  the  crests  of  Amherst,  Al- 
i-ight  in  the  extreme  distance,  and  Entry  directly  ahead  and  near  at  hand, 
were  exceedingly  beautiful,  warmed  by  the  morning  sun,  which  mellowed 
their  various  vivid  tints  into  pearly  grays. 

It  may  be  said  here  that  the  name  now  given  to  the  whole  group 
originally  belonged  to  the  long  narrow  island  M'hich  comprises  the  moi'c 


^.uAM^^m- 


#K 


m 


w  ''''^  ^^f/ 


SAND    DUNES    AND    WRECKS     BETWEEN    AMHERST    AND     GRINDSTONE     ISLANDS. 

or  less  lofty  divisions  termed  respectively  Amiierst,  Grindstone,  Alright, 
Wolf,  Coffin,  and  Grosse  Isle — islands  which  are  all  more  or  less  connected 
by  a  double  row  of  sand  dunes  enclosing  lake-like  lagoons,  but  divided 
in  some  places  by  sea-opem*ngs  fordable  at  low  water,  and  at  Basque  Har- 
bor, Havre  aux  Maisons,  and  Grand  Entry  Harbor  deep  enough  to  admit 
of  the  entrance  of  small  vessels.  Around  tlie  Magdalen  Islands,  never 
more  than  a  few  miles  distant,  are  Dead  man's  Island,  the  Ih'rd  Rocks,  Biron 
Island,  Shag  Kock,  and  Entry  Island,  M-hicli  are  now  all  comprised  under 
the  same  name.  The  Magdalen  Islands  ^wr  excellence  trend  thirty-eight 
miles  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  from  Amherst  to  Coffin  Island.  A  long 
■5pit,  called  Sandy  Hook,  and  partially  under  water,  extends  due  east  from 
Amherst  toward  Entry,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  narrow  and  dan- 


80 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


gerous  cliannel.  Pleasant  Bay  is  tlie  bight  formed  by  Sandy  Hook  i-oniul 
by  Basque  Harbor  to  Grindstone  Island,  and  is  a  connnodions  and  sate 
roadstead  in  all  but  easterly  winds,  when  vessels  must  cut  and  run  for 
the  other  side  of  the  island,  or  make  a  dash  for  Havre  Aubert  if  taken 
too  suddenly.     In  the  terrific  gale  of  August,  1873,  our  fishing  fleet  was 

lying  for  refuge  in  Pleas- 
ant Bay,  when  the  wind 
shifted  so  rapidly  and 
violently  into  the  east- 
ward that  thirty  -  three 
schooners  were  driven 
on  shore  in  an  hour, 
piled  together  on  the  top 
of  each  other.  The  skel- 
etons of  some  of  these 
hapless  vessels  still  bleach 
on  the  beach  at  Amhei'st. 
Rounding  the  grand, 
gayly  colored  sea-cliffs  of 
Entry  Island,  the  Albert 
steamed  nj)  to  an  anchor- 
age at  Amherst,  at  the 
bottom  of  Pleasant  Bay, 
and  a  boat  cairied  the 
mails  and  one  solitary 
passenger  ashore  through  the  surf.  The  cui-ious  little  town  of  Amherst 
lies  there,  composed  of  perhaps  fifty  houses  straggling  up  the  flanks  of  the 
Demoiselle,  a  conical  hill,  which  on  the  sea  side  falls  vertically  nearl}^  two 
linndred  and  eighty  feet.  The  business  portion  of  the  metropolis  of  the 
Magdalens  clusters  farther  doMm,  where  store-houses  and  fish  stages  for 
the  drying  of  cod  are  huddled  together  on  a  sandbar  scarce  a  hundred 
])aces  across,  which  connects  Mount  Gridley  with  the  Demoiselle  Hill. 
On  the  north  side  of  this  bar  is  Pleasant  Bay;  on  the  south  side  is  Havre 
Aubert,  twisted  by  our  fishermen  into  Harbor  le  Bear.  It  is  a  small  but 
perfectly  safe  port,  the  best  in  the  Magdalens,  it  is  said ;  bnt  the  entrance 
channel  is  very  narrow  and  shifting,  and  accessible  only  to  vessels  draw- 
ing not  over  twelve  feet  of  water.  On  the  flats  in  the  centre  of  the  har- 
bor lies  an  old  hulk  rotting  in  the  storms  which  howl  around  that  devoted 
coast  so  nnich  of  the  year — a  characteristic  object,  looking  as  if  planted 
there  purposely  to  indicate  the  character  of  those  desolate  isles. 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


81 


The  passenger  aforesaid  found  better  lodging  than  he  had  reason  to 
expect,  at  Mrs.  Shea's  little  boarding -house.  The  variety  in  the  larder 
was  limited ;  but  tlie  eggs  were  fresh,  the  milk  rich,  and  the  tea  good,  and 
the  total  cost  of  board  and  lodging  not  over  seventy-live  cents  per  diem. 
Amlierst  town  may  be  said  to  be  the  seat  of  the  Government.  Mr.  Fox, 
the  revenue  collector  and  superintendent  of  wrecks,  resides  there,  and  also 
Mr.  Painchand,  the  United  States  consular  agent,  who  is  very  polite  to  our 
countrymen,  and  Mr.  Fontana,  the  most  important  individual  in  the  isl- 
ands, the  agent  of  Admiral  Coffin,  the  proprietor,  who  holds  them  subject 
to  tlie  jurisdiction  of  the  Dominion.  In  reward  for  his  public  services, 
Captain  Isaac  Coffin,  uncle  of  the  present  owner,  received  a  grant  of  these 
islands  from  the  British  crown  in  179S.  They  were  first  discovered  by 
Jacques  Cartier,  and  were  colonized  by  French,  chiefly  Acadians,  who 
sought  refuge  here  when  expelled  from  Acadie.  They  have  received 
accessions  from  Canada,  St.  Pierre,  Jersey,  and  England,  and  now  number 
about  live  thousand,  nearly  all  of  French  descent,  and  speaking  and  re- 
taining the  language,  customs,  and  religion  of  the  parent  country.  They 
occupy  the  land  generally  by  leasehold,  under  various  conditions,  and  the 
rents  are  devoted  by  the  proprietor  to  the  laying-out  of  roads  and  other 
public  improvements.  But  great  dissatisfaction  has  grown  out  of  the 
existing  tenure  of  lands.  It  is  alleged  that  the  prosperity  of  the  islands 
is  hindered  by  the  present  arrangement,  and  strong  efforts  are  now  made 
to  bring  about  the  transfer  of  the  islands  to  the  Dominion.  The  admiral 
asks  eighteen  thousand  pounds,  which  would  not  seem  excessive,  consid- 
ering that  the  area  of  the  Magdalens  is  seventy-eight  thousand  acres,  of 
which  fully  one-third  is  arable,  and  another  third  not  wholly  useless,  while 
the  fisheries  add  greatly  to  their  value. 


AMHERST,    LOOKING     TOWARD    DEMOISELLE     HILL. 

6 


82 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


The  lions  of  Havre  Aubert  were  soon  visited,  including  the  English 
chapel  on  Mount  Gridley,  the  new  Roman  Catholic  church  on  the  Demoi- 


LANDING    ON    ENTUY     ISLAND. 


selle  Hill,  and  the  jail  and  post-office,  which  are  within  the  same  enclosure, 
and  under  the  charge  of  one  superintendent,  whose  official  duties  are  not 
exhausting.  There  is  a  mail  but  twice  a  month,  and  for  five  months  there  " 
is  no  mail  at  all,  for  the  shore  ice  forms  around  the  islands  while  the 
Strait  of  Northumberland  is  closed,  and  navigation  ceases  in  the  Gulf 
from  December  to  April  inclusive. 

It  was  important  to  visit  Entry  Island,  and  to  seize  the  first  good 
weather,  as  the  passage  of  nine  miles  in  a  small  boat  may  prove  very  diffi- 
cult in  case  of  a  sudden  change  of  weather,  always  liable  to  happen  after 
the  1st  of  September;  and,  in  fact,  at  all  seasons  the  sea  rises  in  the  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence  with  great  rapidity,  always  rugged  and  tumultuous,  with 
vast  combers  that  break,  owing  to  the  tides  and  currents  and  the  shoalness 
of  the  water  and  the  undertow,  all  aiding  to  render  navigation  there  ex- 
cessively hazardous,  combined  with  the  frequent  fogs. 

Some  men  had  come  from  Entry  Island  to  attend  the  sale  of  Avrecked 
goods  at  Havre  Aubert,  and  I  was  able  to  return  with  them.  We  sailed 
in  the  broad  light  of  the  full  moon,  skirting  Sandy  Hook.  A  number 
of  the  islanders  with  their  dogs  came  down  to  help  us  beach  the  boat 
and  land  the  cargo  on  a  long  low  sand  spit  on  the  northern  side  of  En- 
try;  and  the  scene  by  moonlight  was  very  picturescpie,  and  seemed  more 
as   if  on  the   shore  of  some  tropical   isle   surrounded   hy  summer  seas 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


and  balmy  breezes  than  in  the  abnost  hyperborean  regions  of  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

Mr.  James  Cassidy,  the  keeper  of  the  light-house,  cordially  invited  me 
to  lodge  with  him.  A  long  mile  over  a  rolling  moorland,  with  shadowy 
hills  on  our  left  and  the  moonlit  sea  and  red  star  of  the  light-house  be- 
fore us,  led  through  the  frosty  air  to  a  warm  fire  in  Mrs.  Cassidy's  com- 
fortable kitchen,  where  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  of  the  capital  island  mutton 
added  very  materially  to  our  well-being.  ''  Look  well  to  the  commissa- 
riat," is  ever  the  motto  of  your  experienced  traveller. 

Entry  Island  is  pentagonal  in  form,  only  two  miles  long  in  its  greatest 
length,  and  for  its  size  offers  a  greater  variety  of  scenery  and  attractions 
probably  than  any  other  island  of  the  Atlantic.  The  western  half  of  the 
island  forms  a  gentle  slope,  broken  into  pleasant  intervales,  divided  into 
charming  meadows  and  pasture-lands,  overgrown  with  potatoes  or  waving 
grain  and  fragrant  grasses,  and  ending  abruptly  in  cliffs  fifty  to  a  hun- 
dred feet  high.  Bits  of  dwarf  woodland  scattered  here  and  there  give 
a  very  picturesque  effect  to  this  pastoral  landscape,  which  is  also  height- 
ened by  the  numbers  of  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep  everywhere  visible,  and 
the  farm-houses  of  the  ten  families  who  here  pass  away  their  uneventful 
but  not  unhappy  lives.  They  are  all  of  Irish  and  English  descent,  and 
sucli  a  thing  as  want  is  probably  unknown  on  Enti-y  Island.     It  contains 


OLD    MAN    AND    OLD    WOMAN. 


about  thirty-two  hundred  acres,  an  average  of  over  three  hundred  acres  to 
a  family.     They  export  some  stock  and  provisions,  including  considerable 


84  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

butter.  Mrs.  Dixon  told  me  she  owned  fifty-five  cows;  the  niillv  is  ex- 
cellent, and  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  The  people  appear  to  be  thrifty, 
and  yet  it  does  not  seem  that  they  make  the  most  of  their  opportunities. 
But  w,ho  would  blame  them  for  this  ?  They  have  enough,  and  are  con- 
tent. The  women  do  not  have  to  buy  four  hats  a  year,  or  study  the  fash- 
ions from  Paris  ;  the  men  do  not  need  to  pore  over  the  daily  financial 
I'eports,  or  discuss  the  public-school  question  in  a  place  whei'e  all  are  Prot- 
estants, where  there  are  no  schools,  and  only  a  minister  twice  or  thrice  a 
year  to  marry  and  christen.  At  the  same  time,  I  saw  books  and  papers 
in  every  house  I  visited,  including  the  old  family  Bible,  and  the  people 
are  as  intelligent  as  they  are  hospitable.  They  use,  in  common  witli  all 
the  Magdalen  Islanders,  a  peculiar  square  cast-iron  stove  set  on  high  legs 
between  two  rooms,  fitting  in  an  opening  in  the  partition  wall,  thus  heat- 
ing botli  apartments  equally,  and  economizing  both  labor  and  fuel.  Here 
during  the  long  winter  days,  when  shut  out  entirely  from  the  rest  of  the 
world,  they  sit  and  spin  yarns  and  woollen  at  the  same  time.  The  old- 
fashioned  spinning-wheel  is  used  in  all  the  islands,  and  most  of  the  people 
are  clad  in  homespun. 

The  eastern  half  of  Entiy  is  of  quite  another  formation — bold  and 
mountainous.  Although  the  liighest  elevations  are  but  lofty  hills,  yet  they 
are  really  so  high,  considering  the  small  area  from  which  they  rise,  as  to 
give  in  miniature  the  effect  of  a  very  rugged  and  mountainous  land.  The 
highest  summit  is  six  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  sea  by  the  latest 
survey,  and  it  looks  higher,  it  is  so  steep.  The  prospect  fi'om  the  top  on 
that  calm  September  day  was  one  of  rare  beautyo  The  tints  of  sea  and 
sky  were  soft,  yet  rich  as  those  of  southei-n  latitudes.  At  our  feet  were 
spread  the  rich  uplands  and  lowlands  of  Entry  Island  encircled  by  a  line 
of  silver  foam.  Beyond  lay  the  group  of  islets  clustering  around  Pleas- 
ant Bay,  the  red  and  gray  precipices  of  Andiei'st,  Alright,  and  Grindstone, 
bathed  in  hues  so  tender  and  beautiful  I  could  hardly  believe  it  was  not 
some  fair  scene  in  the  ^gean  pictured  before  me  like  an  exquisite  dream. 
In  the  exti-eme  distance,  fifty  miles  away  to  tlie  southward,  could  be  dis- 
cerned the  faint  outlines  of  Cape  North  and  St.  Paul's  Island.  As  this 
hill,  the  highest  elevation  in  the  Magdalens,  and  (;onunanding  a  view  of 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Law^rence  nearly  one  hundred  miles  in  diameter,  has  re- 
mained without  a  name  up  to  this  time,  the  writer  has  ventui-ed  to  name 
it  St.  Lawrence  Hill.  To  the  eastward  of  St.  Lawrence  Ilill  is  Pig  Hill, 
about  fifty  feet  lower,  but  equally  well  defined.  From  these  two  peaks 
radiate  a  number  of  miniature  gorges  and  dells  thickly  overgrown  with 
savage  woodlands  of  dwarf  spruce,  intermingled  wMth  birch,  pine,  and  sas- 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


85 


safras,  and  terminating  on  all  sides  bnt  the  land  side  in  astonisliing  cliffs, 
generally  vertical,  and  in  some  cases  actually  overhanging  the  sea.  These 
niao-nificent  precipices  are  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  at  the  east 
end,  gradually  rising  to  over  four  hundred  feet  on  the  southern  side.  The 
loftiest  of  these  cliffs,  for  lack  of  any  other  name,  is  here  called  the  Watch 
Tower.  Scarped  and  sculptured  in  a  thousand  fantastic  shapes,  and  bi-itl- 
iantly  hued  with  the  lively  and  variegated  tints  of  the  new  red  sand- 
stone, intermingled  with  gray  gypsum  and  warm  ochres,  the  cliffs  of  Entry 
Island  scarcely  yield  in  beauty  and  gi'andeur  to  the  famous  rocks  of  the 
Channel  Islands,  which,  indeed,  never  reach  an  altitude  of  four  hundred 
feet.  Devil's  Island  is  a  perpendicular  isolated  mass  connected  with  the 
main  island  by  a  zigzag  curtain  some  thirty  yards  across,  over  three  hun- 


DRAGGING    TUE    HULL    OF    A    SCHOONER    TO    THE    BEACH. 


dred  feet  liigh,  and  tapering  up  to  an  absolute  edge  scarce  an  inch  thick. 
The  sheep  wiggle  across  this  edge,  whicli  may  be  likened  to  the  bridge  of 
Al-Sirat,  to  browse  on  the  acre  of  grass  on  the  summit,  where  they  keep 
company  with  a  colony  of  freebooting  foxes,  which,  gradually  driven  from 
one  post  to  another,  have  taken  a  last  refuge  in  this  almost  inaccessible 
stronghold  of  despair,  and  raid  on  the  hen-roosts  o'  stormy  nights.  Near 
the  Devil's  Island  is  a  pool  which  has  been  sounded  farther  down  than 
the  sea-level  without  finding  bottom. 

I  returned  from  Entry  to  Havre  Aubert  when  a  gale  premonitory  of 
the  equinoctial  was  setting  in,  and  was  obliged  to  wait  for  clearing  weath- 
er before  starting  for  Grindstone  Island.  At  length  the  elements  seemed 
propitious,  and  we  set  out.  The  equipage,  driven  by  Jean  Nedeau,  who 
can  be  recommended  as  a  competent  guide  across  the  fords  and  quick- 


SG 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


THROUGH    THE    SURF. 


sands  of  the  Magdalens,  consisted  of  a  cart  hung  on  what  were  intended 
for  springs,  but  they  did  not  fulfil  the  intent  of  the  maker.  The  jolting 
I  received  that  day  was  fitted  to  search  out  every  weak  spot  in  one's  anat- 
omy, and  would  sorely  have  tested  the  quality  of  false  teeth.  One  could 
readily  realize  in  Jean  Nedeau's  cart  what  may  be  the  sensation  of  having 

the  spine  piercing  upward  into  the 
skull.  The  sturdy  roan  pony  that 
dragged  us  along  at  a  three-mile-an- 
hour  pace  was  of  a  decidedly  domes- 
tic turn,  and  was  strongly  averse  to 
leaving  home. 

Our  road  led  around  the  south- 
ern side  of  Amherst  Island,  which  is 
eleven  miles  long,  east  and  west,  very 
hilly  in  the  interior,  being  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  high,  and  general- 
ly cultivated.  Near  the  fishing  ham- 
let called  the  Basin  we  saw  a  very 
beautiful  view.  In  the  middle  dis- 
tance rose  the  Demoiselle  Hill  like  an  acropolis;  in  the  background  lay 
the  purple  heights  of  Entry  Island  like  the  main-land;  and  in  the  fore- 
ground the  blue  waters  of  the  Basin,  girt  with  green  meadows,  where  the 
peasants  were  harvesting  the  hay.  No  scene  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
has  ever  reminded  me  so  vividlj^  of  historic  bits  in  Asia  Minor.  Passing 
the  hamlets  of  Pont-du-Mouliu  and  Anse  au  Cabane,  the  road  skirted  the 
perpendicular  red  sea-cliffs  on  the  left,  while  the  wind  sung  a  wild  mu- 
sic in  the  spruce  forests  on  our  right.  Here  we  saw  a  schooner  on  the 
stocks  on  a  cliff,  from  which  it  would  be  slid  on  to  the  ice  in  the  winter. 
Many  small  vessels  are  built  on  these  islands,  and  it  is  not  unconnnon  to 
construct  them  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  over  half  a  mile  from  the  sea- 
side. In  the  winter,  when  the  men  cannot  farm  or  fish,  the  ship-builder 
buys  a  few  gallons  of  gin,  and  then  invites  his  neighbors  to  the  launch. 
The  cradle  on  which  the  hull  is  laid  is  placed  on  runners,  and  drawn  over 
the  snow  by  many  willing  hands  tugging  at  the  cables.  When  they  reach 
the  cliff's  edge,  the  vessel  is  lowered  to  the  ice,  forty  or  fifty  feet  below, 
on  sloping  ways,  by  the  aid  of  crabs  and  a  few  oxen.  AVhen  the  ice 
breaks  up,  she  becomes  a  thing  of  life,  and  goes  forth  to  battle  with  the 
storms. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  came  down  to  the  lagoon  called  Basque  Harbor,  and 
began  the  toilsome  journey  along  the  dunes  which  protect  it  on  the  north- 


THE  MAGDALEN  ISLANDS. 


87 


western  side.  After  proceeding  a  couple  of  miles,  shielded  from  the  sea 
by  a  range  of  low  sand  hills,  we  came  to  a  break  where  the  tide  rushed 
through  like  a  mill-race :  here  we  waited  for  the  tide  an  hour,  with  ample 
time  to  study  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  desolate  scenes  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  Sharp-speared  salt  grass  scantily  covered  the  tops  of  the  sand 
hummocks,  and  relieved  the  uniform  white,  which  only  seemed  more  repel- 
ling when  the  surf  lashed  it  with  the  foam  of  a  storm  that  was  gathering 
in  the  south-east,  threatening  and  terrible  in  its  gloom.  Wrecks,  or  bits 
of  wreck,  were  everywhere  visible,  partly  covered  by  the  shifting  sands. 
Seaward,  Deadman's  Island  was  distinctly  seen — a  large  rock  resembliug 
a  corpse  laid  out.  When  the  tide  had  fallen  somewhat,  we  ventured  to  • 
cross,  feeling  our  way  along  a  shoal  near  the  centre  of  the  lagoon.  The 
water  was  up  to  the  hubs  of  the  wheels,  and  any  deflection  from  the  land- 
marks Avhich  guided  us  might  have  proved  hazardous.  After  wading  two- 
thirds  of  a  mile,  we  once  more  stood  on  dry  but  not  on  firm  land,  for  that 
epithet  will  hardly  apply  to  bars  more  or  less  affected  by  every  storm,  and 
in  places  completely  covered  by  the  sea  in  a  gale  of  wind.  After  this, 
we  proceeded  along  the  open  beach,  with  the  surf  breaking  among  the 
spokes  of  the  M'heels.  Curlew,  plover,  and  wild-geese  seemed  to  abound. 
In  one  spot  two  wrecks  lay  close  together ;  one  of  them  had  been  tliere 


PORT    AND    VILLAGE     OP    J&TANG    DU     NORD,    GRINDSTONE     ISLAND. 

ten  years,  and  was  still  in  tolerably  good  condition.  She  sailed  out  of 
Miramichi,  a  noble  vessel  of  twelve  hundred  tons,  just  off  the  stocks.  It 
was  her  first  voyage.  She  had  proceeded  less  than  two  hundred  miles 
when  she  brought  up  on  the  Magdalen  Islands.     The  owner  g-ot  his  in- 


surance, but  the  circumstances  were  against  him. 


The  far-sighted  and 


88  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

resolute  audacity  that  will  bnild  a  vessel  to  cast  it  away  is  almost  sublime, 
while  one  hardly  knows  what  to  think  of  the  sailor  who  will  deliberately 
destroy  a  ship  on  her  first  voyage. 

Fording  one  or  two  more  small  inlets,  we  at  length  reached  the  end 
of  tlie  dune,  twelve  miles  long,  and  entered  the  curious  fishing-village  of 
Etang  du  Nord,  on  Grindstone  Island.  In  summer  many  of  the  people 
leave  their  houses  inland  and  come  down  to  this  place.  The  men  go  a-fish- 
ing  when  the  weather  is  at  all  practicable,  while  the  women  and  children 
dry  the  fish  and  have  a  warm  meal  ready  when  the  men  return.  A  large 
fleet  of  strong  fishing-boats  of  lai'ge  size  crowds  the  little  port,  just  outside 
of  which  lies  the  curious  rock  called  Gull  Island.  The  shore  of  the  ha- 
ven is  lined  with  rude  houses  on  stages  in  the  water  for  the  storing  of 
the  fresh  fish,  and  the  huts  of  the  fishermen  are  ranged  behind  these.  A 
quaint  place  is  Etang  du  Nord,  with  its  P'rench  people  and  manners;  and 
as  I  took  a  capital  fast-day  dinner  in  the  snug  house  of  M.  Bourque,  I 
could  almost  imagine  myself  back  in  the  fishing-towns  of  Brittany.  From 
here  in  the  dusk  we  jolted  through  the  woods,  down  hilly  paths,  to  the 
house  of  M.  Nelson  Arseneau,  at  Havre  aux  Maisons,  where  I  was  hospi- 
tably entertained  for  several  days :  "  Vous  etes  chez  vous,  monsieur,"  as 
mine  host  said  to  me,  with  unaffected  cordiality. 

Part  of  the  little  settlement  of  Havre  aux  Maisons,  or  House  Harbor, 
is  situated  on  Alright  Island,  which  is  reached  by  a  ferry.  Both  islands 
have  some  remarkable  headlands  over  three  hundred  feet  high,  notably 
Cap  au  Menle,  Cape  Grindstone,  and  Cape  Alright ;  while  each  contains 
much  fine  farming  land,  M'itli  comfortable  farms  and  pretty  valleys,  af- 
fording pasture  to  numerous  flocks  and  herds.  Abundance  of  grain  is 
raised  on  these  islands,  but  the  general  complaint  is  that  there  are  no  mills 
to  grind  it.  Brooks  there  are  which,  by  the  aid  of  a  dam,  could  furnish 
the  power ;  but  I  could  not  but  think  it  very  strange  that,  with  such  a 
capital  situation  and  such  abundance  of  wind,  they  do  not  use  windmills, 
which  are  quite  inexpensive.  Cranberries  grow  on  the  islands,  and  the 
cultivation  of  that  beautiful  berry  might  easily  become  profitable. 

Havre  aux  Maisons  is  a  port  of  nuicli  importance  as  the  seat  of  the 
seal  fisheries,  in  addition  to  what  is  done  there  in  the  disposal  of  shore 
mackerel  and  ship-building.  In  the  last  century  the  walrus  frequented 
the  Magdalens  in  vast  numbers,  but  they  were  at  last  frightened  away  by 
the  prodigious  slaughter.  But  the  seal  has  always  been  common  around 
there,  and  sometimes  the  catch  is  important.  In  the  winter  of  1875  over 
20,000  were  taken,  valued  at  $60,000  to  the  hunters,  and  yielding  sev- 
eral thousand  barrels  of  oil  in  addition  to  the  skins.     The  oil  is  tried  out 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


89 


in  vats.  Tlie  blubber  is  thrown  in  at  the  top,  which  is  left  open  ;  when 
thfe  spring  sun  arrives,  the  warmth  melts  the  blabber,  and  the  oil  runs  into 
the  tubs  below.  The  seals  are  caught  on  the  floating  ice,  which  sometimes 
extends  many  miles,  but  is  liable  to  be  blown  away  from  the  shore  ice 
with  a  change  of  wind.  Immense  is  the  excitement  throughout  the  whole 
settlement  when  news  runs  from  one  end  to  tlie  other  like  wildfire  that 
the  seals  have  arrived.  Every  soul  turns  out,  including  the  women,  who 
stand  on  the  beach  with  refreshments.  Every  party  of  hunters  carries 
a  'small  skiff,  with  which  to  return  in  case  the  ice  moves  off.  Drao-o-inn: 
the  dead  seals  over  the  ice  is  a  very  exhausting  labor;  some  now  use 
horses  and  sledges  for  this  purpose;  but  at  best  it  is  a  fearfully  laboi-i- 


B^^- 


CAP    AU     MEULE    AND    WRECK,    GRINDSTONE     ISLAND. 


ons  and  dangerous  work,  and  many  have  lost  their  lives,  can-ied  away  on 
the  ice. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  our  fishermen  have  for  years 
frequented  the  Magdalen  Islands  for  mackerel.  It  is  not  uncommon  to 
see  a  fleet  of  two  hundred  schooners  in  those  waters,  taking  home  annnally 
30,000  bari'els  of  mackerel,  worth  over  $350,000  at  a  low  estimate.  But 
the  flshermen  of  those  islands  also  pursue  the  shore  fisheries  with  profit 
in  boats.  Nine  thousand  barrels  of  mackerel  and  ten  thousand  quintals 
of  cod,  worth  in  the  aggregate  $100,000,  are  set  down  to  their  credit,  ex- 
clusive of  what  were  caught  by  the  Yankee  fishermen,  during  the  not  very 


90 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


profitable  season  of  1875.     The  herring  fisheries  are  also  of  great  value 
and  importance  at  tlie  Magdalen  Islands. 

North-east  from  Grindstone  Island  stretches  the  broad  and  navigable 
lagoon  formed  bj  Wolf  and  Alright  islands  on  either  side,  with  their  long 


PART    OF    CAPE    ALKIOHT. 


sand  dimes  that  unite  them  with  Grosse  Isle  and  Coftin  Island.  Gi-and 
Entry  Harbor  is  a  fine  port  of  refuge  between  the  two  latter  islands,  which 
are  the  most  common  resort  of  the  seals.  Detached  from  these  to  the 
north  are  the  Bird  Rocks,  and  Biron  Island,  which  is  inhabited  by  a  few 
families  who  cultivate  its  rich  soil  and  raise  stock;  but  it  is  inaccessible, 
except  when  the  weather  is  serene  and  with  the  wind  off  shore.  Owing 
to  the  lateness  of  the  season  warning  me  to  seize  the  first  opportunity  to 
leave,  and  the  fierceness  of  the  equinoctial  gales,  which  lashed  the  Gulf 
surges  into  rage  unwonted  even  in  that  turbulent  sea,  I  M'as  unable  to 
visit  the  remaining  islands.  Passage  was  kindly  offered  me  in  the  small 
schooner  Sea  Foam  to  Souris;  but,  on  account  of  the  heavy  surf  on  the 
bar,  we  could  not  avail  ourselves  of  the  favorable  wind  after  the  gale,  but 
were  forced  to  wait  a  day.  The  ship-channel  of  Havre  aux  Maisons  is 
very  tortuous,  in  some  places  scarcely  a  ship's  width,  and  lies  so  near  the 
end  of  the  spit  that  it  can  be  touched  by  an  oar  in  passing,  while  the  cur- 
rent of  the  incoming  or  outgoing  tide  rushes  through  with  such  violence 
that  in  a  moderate  breeze  it  is  extremely  difficult  for  a  vessel  to  get  by 
the  spit  without  being  headed  off  by  the  tide  and  slewed  on  a  bank. 
Three  times  we  got  aground,  and  each  time  w^ated  for  the  tide  to  lift 
us  off.  The  same  thing  happened  to  the  schooners  in  company  with  ns. 
Finally,  by  the  aid  of  a  kedge,  at  slack  tide,  we  were  able  to  slip  thi-ongh 
the  channel  and  put  out  into  the  open  water  of  Pleasant  Bay.     But  our 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


91 


fair  breeze  had  failed  us,  and  the  weather  looked  dubious  and  threatening, 
with  light  and  baffling  winds  all  night,  which  took  us  to  the  southward 
of  Entry  Island,  when  the  wind  settled  in  the  south-west,  with  lightning, 
a  heavy  sea,  and  a  very  wicked-looking  sky  in  the  offing.  A  storm  was 
brewing,  and  after  a  hasty  consultation  the  helm  was  put  up,  and  we  bore 
away  again  for  Pleasant  Bay,  where  we  dropped  the  mud-hook  under  tlie 
lee  of  the  Demoiselle  Hill,  and  were  soon  joined  by  a  fleet  of  schooners. 
It  blew  fresh  all  day,  shifting  into  the  west,  with  a  fine  clear  sky.  In  the 
afternoon  we  got  up  the  anchor  and  moved  farther  up  the  bay,  opposite 
Basque  Harbor,  to  make  a  lee  in  case  the  wind  should  shift  to  the  north- 
east in  the  night.  Tiiere  we  lay  until  the  following  aftei-noon.  The 
time  was  pleasantly  whiled  away  exchanging  visits  with  the  neighboring 
schooners.  Some  very  sensible,  good  fellows,  with  now  and  then  a  comical 
genius,  were  discovered  in  the  diminutive  cabins  of  these  little  craft,  and 
the  conversation,  the  merriment,  and  the  yarns  never  flagged.  On  board 
our  schooner  we  numbered  six,  consisting  of  the  owners,  the  passenger, 

the   skipper,  the   officers  and  crew,       ^_.  „___^^_   __ 

combined  in  the  burly  person  of  one 
man  named  Jim,  and  Joe,  the  cook, 
who  professed  to  be  from  Glouces- 
ter, and  was  one  of  the  most  singu- 
lar characters  ever  seen  on  board  a 
schooner.  Cleanliness  in  his  person 
or  apparel  was  not  one  of  his  prom- 
inent traits.  I  know  he  has  wash- 
ed his  hands  at  least  once  in  his 
life,  because  I  heard  the  owner  of 
the  schooner  send  him  on  deck  to 
do  so  just  as  he  was  about  to  knead 
some  dough.  As  a  cook,  he  was 
voted  to  be  the  greatest  failure  of 
the  season,  although  he  limited  him- 
self to  cooking  only  salt-horse,  cod- 
fish, and  potatoes  with  their  jackets 
on.  But  the  imperturbability  of  his  disposition,  combined  with  an  impu- 
dence that  almost  exceeds  belief,  afforded  us  a  compensating  fund  of  en- 
tertainment, aided  by  the  undying  feud  that  existed  between  this  hojjeful 
disciple  of  Soyer  and  the  skipper. 

"  Blast  your  eyes !"  roared  the  skipper,  at  dinner,  "  why  don't  you  put 
the  beef  to  soak  before  you  boil  it,  you  young  pii-ate  V 


THE    SERENE    JOSEPH. 


92  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

"  It  was  soaked,"  said  the  serene  Josepli. 

"And  who  was  it  but  myself  who  put  it  in  to  soak  at  the  last  min- 
ute ?"  replied  the  skipper. 

"  Well,  if  you  put  it  in  to  soak,  M-hat  was  the  need  of  my  doing  it, 
ell  ?"  answered  the  respectful  youth. 

'•  D n  your  impudence  !"  yelled  the  skipper,  now  fairly  shaking; 

witli  rage,  and  hurling  a  hatchet  at  the  brazen-faced  youth,  who  dodged 
it,  and  it  struck  the  side  of  a  bunk,  just  over  his  head. 

The  whole  morning  Joe  lay  in  a  sunny  spot  on  deck,  out  of  the  wind, 
in  a  brown-study.     In  the  evening  he  handed  around  a  greasy  note-book, 
in  which  he  had  put  down  the  result  of  his  meditations  in  the  form  of, 
a  satii'ical  poem   on  the  captain,  which  was  not  altogether  destitute  of 
literary  merit. 

It  was  very  interesting,  while  we  lay  there,  to  watch  the  gannets  div- 
ing for  mackerel.  Rising  to  a  great  height,  they  suddenly  turned  head 
downward,  and,  folding  tlieir  wings  close  to  the  body,  dropped  into  the 
water  with  the  speed  and  violence  of  a  shot,  splashing  the  spraj'  well  into 
the  air.  When  a  flock  of  them  were  diving  in  this  way  over  a  school  of 
lish,  the  effect  was  that  of  balls  falling  into  the  sea  during  a  naval  battle. 

On  the  following  day  by  noon  the  wind  got  into  the  north-west,  and 
it  was  decided  to  make  another  attempt  to  get  across.  We  ran  through 
the  channel  between  Entry  and  Amherst,  passing  near  to  the  Tigress 
steamer,  which  was  wrecked  on  the  former  island  in  the  late  gale  two 
days  previously.  The  sunset  that  evening  was  one  of  the  most  supei-l) 
it  has  been  my  fortune  to  see.  The  waves  were  of  the  most  exquisite 
emerald  hue,  tossing  up  their  spray  like  diamonds,  while  sixty-five  of  our 
schooners  fishing  close  together  under  the  lee  of  the  purple  hills  of  Am- 
herst Island,  their  main-sails  touched  with  a  rosy  flame,  and  flocks  of  sea- 
birds  darting  hither  and  thither  like  bearers  of  light,  or  shooting-stars, 
their  white  wings  illumined  by  the  glory  of  the  setting  sun,  combined  to 
compose  a  marine  view  of  unsurpassed  magnificence.  But  after  the  sun 
went  down,  the  weather  looked  less  satisfactory ;  however,  it  was  decided 
to  keep  on. 

All  night  the  wind  was  fresh  but  steady  :  all  hands  took  turns  at  steer- 
ing and  watching,  and  a  sharp  lookout  was  kept  for  East  Point  Light,  on 
Prince  Edward  Island.  This  was  made  more  difiicult  because  a  number 
of  fishermen  were  tacking  about  or  lying  at  an  anchor,  and  their  lights 
sometimes  looked  surpi'isingly  like  the  gleam  of  a  light  on  shore.  After 
taking  another  look,  the  skipper  went  below  again  to  catch  forty  winks. 
Jim  was  at  the  wheel,  and  the  writer,  leaning  against  the  foremast,  and 


THE  MAGDALEN  ISLANDS.  93 

dodging  the  spray  which  shot  over  the  bow,  was  on  the  lookout.  I'ut 
Jim  also  wanted  to  go  below,  ostensibly  to  get  his  sou'-wester;  and  I 
went  to  the  wheel.  However,  when  he  found  himself  in  the  warm,  snng 
cuddy,  he  stretched  himself  along-side  of  the  other  four,  and  there  they 
all  lay  on  the  floor,  snoring  as  if  we  were  a  thousand  miles  from  land.  It 
was,  however,  not  a  bad  night  to  have  the  deck  to  one's  self,  to  hold  the 
old  schooner  heading  sou'-west  and  by  south  by  the  feeble  glim  in  the 
binnacle,  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  liglit  under  the  leech  of  the 
main-sail,  an  eye  to  windward  for  squalls,  and  also  find  an  odd  second  now 
and  then  for  reflections  suggested  by  the  scene.  It  was  a  murky,  rest- 
less night  about  two  in  the  morning;  the  wind  growing  fresher,  and  com- 
ing in  flaws  moanino-  throuo;h  the  rigging,  and  driving  dark  clonds  across 
the  stars  that  twinkled  hei'e  and  there.  Everything  betokened  a  change 
of  weather  and  a  storm  before  long.  The  schooner,  close  hauled  on  tlie 
starboard  tack,  held  bravely  on  her  course,  careening  over  gracefully  as 
a  stiff  puff  would  strike  her ;  then  a  turn  of  the  wheel  shivered  the  head- 
sails,  and  she  was  all  right  again.  But  at  last  I  became  convinced  that  a 
light  on  the  lee  bow  could  be  no  other  than  the  one  we  were  looking  for, 
and  I  called  up  the  skipper.  Immediately  on  seeing  it,  he  ordered  the 
helm  to  be  put  up,  and,  slackening  the  main-sheet,  we  bore  away  to  give 
the  reef  off  the  point  a  wide  berth.  In  the  August  gale  of  1873,  two  of 
our  schooners  running  before  it,  and  with  no  other  possible  course  that 
they  could  take  and  live,  ran  over  the  reef,  and,  owing  to  the  depth  of 
water  then  on  it,  might  have  escaped  if  they  had  not  lost  headway  when 
their  foresails  jibed.  An  enormous  breaker  overtook  and  swooped  over 
them  at  that  critical  instant.  In  a  twinkling  they  were  seen  to  capsize 
and  go  down,  and  not  a  vestige  of  them  was  ever  seen  again.  Beating 
under  the  land  against  a  strong  breeze,  accompanied  by  a  fleet  of  schoon- 
ers running  for  a  lee,  we  readied  Som-is  at  noon,  just  escaping  a  hurri- 
cane, which  came  on  soon  after  and  destroyed  many  vessels. 


94  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MADEIRA. 

"  71  TADEIRA  is  an  island  lying  off  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  the  latitude 
-^*J-  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  a  resort  for  invalids.  It  is  said  to  be  exceed- 
ingly rich  in  natural  beauty,  and  its  wine  is  famous." 

That  was  all  I  knew  about  the  island — quite  as  much,  if  not  more 
than  is  known  probably  to  most  Americans;  but  a  trip  made  the  previous 
summer  to  the  Azores  had  whetted  my  appetite,  and  happening,  about  the 
time  I  was  thinking  of  another  cruise,  to  come  across  Captain  Hardy,  of 
the  bark  Ethan  Allen,  his  glowing  description  of  Madeira  easily  induced 
me  to  take  passage  with  him,  engaging  the  same  state-room  as  on  a  former 
voyage.  We  had  been  twenty  days  out  of  Boston,  running,  generally, 
with  a  fair  wind  and  less  incident  than  usual,  when  "Land  ho!"  was  the 
cry,  and  there,  indeed,  was  the  loom  of  land  faintly  discernible  under  a 
mass  of  cumulus  cloud  on  the  weather  bow.  For  several  hours  it  was 
doubtful  whether  what  we  saw  was  Madeira  or  its  neighbor,  Porto  Santo; 
but,  after  a  while,  three  isolated  hummocks,  pale-blue,  under  the  lee  bow, 
gradually  assuming  the  peculiar  outline  of  Porto  Santo,  indicated  that 
Madeira  was  the  land  on  our  right,  enveloped,  as  usual,  in  a  curtain  of 
vapor,  and  sixty  miles  distant.  Porto  Santo,  twenty-two  miles  north-east 
of  its  neighbor,  is  small  and  barren,  chiefly  valuable  for  its  limestone 
quarr}^,  a  geological  phenomenon  in  the  group.  Until  recently  it  was  also 
a  penal  settlement  to  w'hich  convicts  from  Funchal  were  transported. 

The  lightness  of  the  breeze  made  our  approach  very  slow,  and  it  was 
only  on  the  following  morning  that  we  drew  near  Madeira,  and,  very  fort- 
unately, obtained  an  uninterrupted  view  of  its  magnificent  outline,  falling 
at  either  end  abruptly  to  the  sea,  with  lofty  precipi(;es  and  vast  detached 
rocks  of  ragged  and  fantastic  shapes  and  rich  volcanic  tints,  along  the 
whole  coast-line ;  while  from  the  sea  the  land  arose  rapidly  to  the  centre, 
where  a  cluster  of  peaks,  closely  grouped,  deeply  grooved  and  turreted, 
suggesting  the  bastions  and  pinnacles  of  a  gigantic  fortress,  were  cut  clear- 
ly against  the  sky  with  the  sharpness  of  sculpture.     Passing  San  Lorenzo 


MADEIRA. 


95 


Point  with  a  leading  wind,  we  were  immediately  headed  off  hy  one  of 
the  numerous  air  currents  which  prevail  on  the  southern  side  and  neu- 
tralize the  north-east  trades,  and  fetched  a  tack  across  to  the  Desertas, 
three  rocky  islets  belonging  to  the  Madeira  group.  Very  narrow,  like 
a  winding  wall,  they  rise  to  the  height  of  two  thousand  feet,  and  are 
next  to  inaccessible;  while  the  violent  squalls,  which  spring  unawares 
from  the  cliffs,  oblige  the  mariner  to  exercise  unusual  vigilance  in  their 
vicinity. 

Off  the  end  of  Chao,  the  northernmost,  is  a  needle-rock,  one  hundred 


THE  MADEIRA 
ISLANDS 


■^^ 


PORTO  SANTO 


''"■'■"^^r 


B* 


<N"^ 


>l 


#A 


^e^ 


i 


c*- 


cT 


'/..ch,- 


''Point  San  Zorenzo 


Cllico 


C0>' 


nESERTA  GRANDK 


Longitude  West  from  Ureenwiih 


Fill  t  s,r.  rr.  r. 


and  sixty  feet  high,  resembling  a  ship  by  the  wind,  as  seen  from  the  stern ; 
it  is  naturally  called  Sail  Rock.  A  handful  of  fishermen  share  the  Deser- 
tas with  the  cats,  which  liave  colonized  and  overrun  them,  and  gather  or- 
chilla  and  catch  shearwaters  by  swinging  over  the  precipices.  The  birds 
are  pickled,  while  the  plumage  is  reserved  for  the  beautiful  feather-work 
of  Madeira.  When  a  supply  of  these  is  collected,  an  immense  beacon-hre 
is  kindled  on  the  highest  peak  to  summou  boats  from  Funchal,  thirty  miles 


9G 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


FUNrnAL    HARBOR    AND    BRAZEN     HEAD. 


distant.     It  is  more  than   surmised  that  smuggling  is  also  successfully 
carried  on  at  the  Desei'tas. 

The  port  of  Funchal  is  only  a  slight  curve  between  two  headlands, 
with  a  sea  exposure  reaching  to  the  south  pole.  Yet  ships  lie  here  all 
the  year  round.  During  the  winter  months  vessels  sometimes  have  to  slip 
and  run  for  an  offing;  but  the  rest  of  the  year  the  hazard  is  slight.  A 
brig  took  out  and  repaired  her  main-mast  while  we  were  there  as  fearless- 
ly as  if  moored  in  a  dock  in  a  snug  harbor.  There  is  no  landing-place 
except  the  beach,  and  boats  of  the  most  diminutive  size  venture  out  into 
the  bay.  Nothing  so  much  impressed  me  with  a  sense  of  the  mildness 
of  the  climate  of  Madeira  as  the  security  of  this  exposed  roadstead.  The 
boats  are  pointed  at  both  ends,  the  keel-piece  being  carried  several  feet 
above  the  gunwale.  The  stern-post  is  rounded  at  the  heel,  and  a  rope  is 
passed  througli  it ;  a  triple  keel  keeps  the  boat  in  an  upright  position  on 


MADEIRA. 


97 


shore.  When  the  beach  is  reached  the  boat  is  turned  stern  foremost,  and 
men  bared  to  the  hips  rush  into  the  surf,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  rope  lift 
the  boat  up  tlie  steeply  shelving  shore.  Ships  are  loaded  and  discharged 
entirely  by  large  lighters,  which  are  drawn  on  the  beach  by  immense  cap- 
stans, called  crabs.  An  army  of  yelling,  bare-legged  Ijoatmen  is  required 
to  land  or  launch  a  loaded  lighter.  The  beach  of  Funchal — crowded  with 
rows  of  picturesquely  shaped,  gayly  painted  boats ;  enlivened  by  the  roar 
of  the  surf,  and  the  constant  landing  of  boats,  and  the  Babel-like  vocif- 
erations of  boatmen  and  the  drivers  of  ox-teams;  and  flanked  at  one  end 
by  the  governor's  residence  and  a  noble  avenue  of  plane-trees,  and  at 
the  other  by  a  shaded  Praca  and  an  okl  red  fort  peaked  witli  pepper- 
box turrets,  the  warm  cliffs  of  Brazen  Head  rising  beliind  it,  and  the  soft 
violet  outlines  of  the  Desertas  in  the  offing — presents  one  of  the  mo^t  in- 
teresting scenes  on  the  island.  Loo  Rock  and  the  castle  (which  seems  an 
integral  part  of  it),  dovetailing  with  the  jagged  pinnacles  of  tlie  rock,  form 
one  of  the  most  effective  features  of  this  scene,  standing  isolated  and 
picturesque  against  the  sky. 

The  port  of  Funchal  is  often  enlivened  by  steamers  and  ships  touch- 
ing there  from  the  coast  of  Africa.  Their  decks  are  crowded  with  crates 
and  cages  full  of  tropical  fruits,  and  parrots  and  monkeys,  the  screeching 
and  chattering  of  the  latter  being  distinctly  heard  at  some  distance.  This 
gives  rise  to  many  amusing  incidents.      Boys  go  off  from  the  beach  to 


98  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

these  steamers  in  tiny  boats,  and,  clamoring  loudly  for  pennies,  dive  to  a 
great  depth  in  the  clear  turqnoise-colored  water  and  fetch  up  coins.  Now 
and  then  a  shark's  tin  stealthily  and  ominously  aj)pears  on  the  surface  ; 
but  accidents  very  rarely  happen. 

Soon  after  I  arrived  the  tirst  time  at  Madeira,  a  Greek  polacre  brig 
came  in  from  Sierra  Leone,  bound  for  Marseilles  with  a  cargo  of  peanuts. 
She  had  been  becalmed  in  the  doldrums,  and  had  been  ninety-live  days 
making  some  tifteen  hundred  miles.  No  sooner  had  she  anchored  than 
a  negro  sailor  escaped  from  her  and  came  on  board  our  vessel.  As  he 
seemed  determined  to  stay.  Captain  Hardy  tinally  concluded  to  send  him 
back  to  the  brig,  and,  as  I  spoke  Greek,  asked  me  to  go  with  the  boat 
and  explain  the  matter  to  the  captain  of  the  brig. 

I  found  the  vessel  apparently  in  the  last  degree  of  neglect,  the  coun- 
terpart of  scoi-es  of  similar  ci'aft  I  had  seen  in  the  Levant.  Neither  paint 
nor  tar  seemed  to  have  touched  the  hull  or  rigging  since  she  had  been 
built.  Everything  was  slack  and  in  unmentionable  confusion.  The  pea- 
nuts fairly  bubbled  on  deck  over  the  open  hatches ;  and  monkeys  and 
parrots  snapped  or  winked  at  one  from  their  cages  or  hiding-places  under 
piles  of  old  spars.  A  curious  scene  was  the  deck  of  that  brig,  rendered 
more  singular  b}  the  handsome  and  tidy  appearance  of  the  captain,  who 
stood  by  the  companion-way  and  received  me  with  the  courtesy  of  a 
prince.  lie  spoke  French  and  Greek  alternately,  and  witli  almost  equal 
facility,  and  ordered  the  cabin-l)oy  to  bring  up  some  Madeira  wine,  wliich, 
I  regret  to  say,  was  of  a  poor  quality.  I  then  gave  my  message  regard- 
ing the  black  sailor,  who  was  now  sitting  on  the  rail  dangling  his  feet 
over  the  water. 

The  Greek  listened  with  simulated  nonchalance ;  but  when  I  had 
done,  his  fury  exploded.  Seizing  a  calker's  mallet,  and  hurling  territic 
imprecations,  he  flew  at  the  negro  with  a  ferocity  that  led  me  to  expect 
to  see  his  brains  dashed  out  on  the  instant.  Raising  the  mallet,  the 
Greek  brought  it  down  with  great  violence  to  within  an  inch  of  the 
negro's  skull,  and  let  it  stop  there.  lie  then  flung  down  the  mallet,  and 
came  back  as  serene  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  But  the  negro,  who 
had  neither  flinched  nor  winked,  still  remained  in  his  place.  After  talk- 
ing with  me  a  few  minutes,  the  Greek  captain  was  seized  by  another  par- 
oxysm of  frantic  rage,  and,  snatching  up  the  mallet  again,  rushed  at  the 
negro  with  even  more  violence  than  before ;  but  again  the  mallet  stopped 
within  an  inch  of  the  victim's  head.  Here  was  a  blending  of  frenzy  and 
self-control  that  was  most  extraordinary  and  unaccountable.  Coming 
aft  again,  with  a  sardonic  smile  on  his  classic  but  jather  piratical  feat- 


MADEIRA. 


99 


ures,  tlie  Greek  called  for  another  glass  of  wine,  and  chatted  in  tlie  most 
unconcerned  manner,  until  a  third  lit  of  fury  came  upon  liiiu.  This  time 
he  was  undoubtedly  in  earnest ;  for  lie  did  not  take  up  the  mallet,  but 
making  a  dash  at  the  negro,  seized  him  with  a  death-like  grip,  and,  in 
spite  of  his  efforts  at  resistance,  hurled  him  over  the  ship's  side  into  tlu; 
boat,  where  he  struck  on  the  thwarts,  severely  hurting  himself,  and  nearly 
breaking  his  back.  Calling  away  the  boat's  crew,  I  now  returned  aboard 
the  bark.     The  poor  negro  deserted  again  the  next  day. 

Funchal,  seen  from  the  sea,  lies  on  a  slope  of  extraordinary  abruj)!- 
ness,  rent  into  three  divisions  by  two  gorges  whose  sides  are  ragged  and 
nearly  vertical.  At  the  head  of  these  ravines,  immediately  beliind  the 
city,  peaks  4000  to  5000  feet  high  ap})ear  through  rifts  in  the  canopy  of 


niE    SLEDGE-HACK. 


clouds.  A  gray  old  castle,  perclied  on  a  spur  projecting  from  the  moun- 
tains, whose  teeth  have  been  drawn — for  its  quaint  outlandish  brass  pieces 
have  flashed  the  grim  menace  of  war  for  the  last  time — assists  the  eye 
to  realize  the  suddenness  of  these  precipitous  ranges,  and  greatly  adds  to 
the  effective  prospect  of  the  town.  On  landing,  the  stranger  very  soon 
learns  the  actual  steepness  of  the  place,  and  finds  that  your  true  Ma- 
deirian  walks  on  three  legs,  or,  in  other  words,  assists  nature  with  a  staff, 
which,  by  often  saving  one  from  a  severe  fall,  becoiues  literally  the  staff 
of  life.  The  streets  are  paved  with  round  pebbles,  whose  natural  slipperi- 
ness  is  increased  by  friction,  and  also  by  the  grease-bags  of  the  sledges, 
insomuch  that  they  are  often  -worn  flat,  smooth  as  glass,  and  scarcely  less* 
treacherous.  I  found  myself  sometimes  clinging  to  the  walls  on  a  steep 
incline  with  the  tenacious  grasp  of  ivy.     The  sledges  alluded  to  are  the 


100  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

nearest  approach  to  a  wheeled  veliicle  used  on  the  island.  They  are 
drawn  by  oxen  guided  by  leathern  thongs  passed  through  the  tips  of  the 
horns.  The  drays  are  a  mere  slab  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  wide, 
strengthened  by  a  rim  on  the  upper  edge,  and  are  of  the  same  form, 
whether  used  by  farmers  or  draymen.  The  hacks  resemble  our  old-fash- 
ioned covered  sleighs,  except  that  the  runners  are  of  wood  alone,  and  a 
cross-bar  rests  on  the  floor  inside  for  the  support  of  the  feet  when  climb- 
ing or  descending  the  steep  declivities.  The  driver  carries  a  grease-bag, 
wliich  he  lays  at  intervals  in  front  of  the  runners.  One  of  the  most 
characteristic  cries  of  Funclial  is  the  yelling  of  the  ox-drivers,  "  Ca,  para 
mi,  boi !  ca,  ca,  ca,  ca !  o-o-o-ah  !"  (Come  here  to  me,  O  oxen  !  here  to 
me  !  whoa  !) 

The  liammock,  carried  on  men's  shoulders,  is  another  conveyance  pe- 
culiar to  Funchal.  While  this  is  of  especial  advantage  to  the  invalid, 
men  who  can  reel  off  their  ten  miles  before  dinner  without  inconven- 
ience do  not  disdain  to  avail  themselves  of  the  luxuriant  motion  it  af- 
fords. Strange  to  say,  the  apparently  severe  labor  of  hammock-bearer  is 
preferred  by  the  natives  to  any  other  form  of  open-air  work.  Horses 
imported  from  abroad,  and  generally  trustworthy,  are  also  used  to  some 
extent,  shod  expressly  for  tlie  roads  of  Madeira  with  spiked  shoes,  which, 
in  travelling  over  some  parts  of  the  island,  have  to  be  renewed  as  often 
as  once  in  every  three  days.  But  tlie  character  of  the  roads,  even  in 
Funchal,  is  so  trying  to  the  nerves  that  many  prefer  the  other  modes  of 
conveyance. 

But  the  coasting-sledge  of  Funchal  must  claim  pre-eminence  over  all 
known  forms  of  locomotion  except  sailing.  I  know  of  no  other  place 
in  the  world  where  business  men  slide  down  hill  to  their  counting-rooms. 
In  summer  many  gentlemen  reside  in  viHas,  wliicli  are  a  continnation 
of  Funchal,  reaching  as  liigh  up  as  the  Church  of  Nostra  Senliora.  do 
Monte,  2000  feet  above  the  sea.  I  rode  up  one  morning  to  breakfast  at 
the  villa  of  the  Austrian  consul,  Signor  Bianchi,  situated  on  a  level  with 
the  Mount  Church.  The  ride  was  up  a  very  pi-ecipitous  incline ;  but  the 
horses  were  on  their  mettle,  and  went  up  the  unbroken  ascent  at  f  idl  trot, 
the  muleteers  running  close  behind :  they  rested  but  once,  and  neither 
horses  nor  men  showed  shortness  of  wind.  Behind  us,  at  the  end  of 
steep  streets,  s.tretched  the  ocean,  whose  dim  horizon -line  grew  rapidly 
more  distant  and  faint  as  we  rose.  On  either  hand  the  road  was  shut  in 
by  high  walls,  overhung  with  a  profusion  of  purple  and  scarlet  flowers, 
which  loaded  the  moist  morning  air  with  perfume.  The  terraces  above 
were  darkened  by  the  lace- work  of  wavering   light  and  shade  cast   by 


MADEIRA. 


101 


trellises  supporting  vines  weiglited  with  clusters  of  Muscatel  grapes, "  wan- 
ton to  be  plucked.""  Having  partaken  the  genial  hospitality  of  our  host 
and  hostess,  we  walked  across  the  head  of  a  ravine  to  a  sledge  "stand" 
by  the  Mount  Church,  and  seated  ourselves  in  a  vehicle  of  basket-woi-k, 
fixed  on  wooden  runnei'S,  with  a  cushioned  seat  for  three,  and  a  brace  for 
the  feet.  Tlie  attendants,  seizing  a  leathern  guiding  thong,  leaped  on  the 
rear  end  of  the  runners  with  one  foot,  gave  the  sledge  a  start,  and  we 
were  off.  With  the  foot  that  was  free  the  men  controlled  their  flying 
sledge  as  a  boy  guides  a  sled,  only  witli  more  skill.  We  dashed  down 
the  narrow  way  at  a  speed  almost  frightful,  but  gloriously  exciting,  going 
around  abrupt  turns  with  a  slide  to  leeward  which  only  the  astonishing 
dexterity  of  the  guides  prevented  from   becoming  a  hazardous  capsize. 


THE    MOUNTAIN    SLED. 


Soon  the  increasing  nuniber  of  people  in  the  sti-eet  obliged  us  to  slacken 
our  pace  ;  but  toward  the  end  we  overtook  another  sledge,  and,  ordering 
our  engineer  to  put  on  steam,  away  we  went  again  at  prodigious  rate, 
gradually  overhauling  the  chase,  until  we  suddenly  turned  into  a  dai'k 
lane.  The  sled  stopped,  and,  presto !  the  excitement  was  over ;  but  not 
tlie  memory  thereof.  We  made  something  over  two  miles  in  eight  min- 
utes and  a  half.  The  distance  has  been  done  in  live  minutes,  when,  ear- 
lier in  the  day,  there  was  a  clear  road.  Another  time  I  made  the  descent 
at  ten  o'clock  at  niglit,  when  all  was  darkness  aiiead,  intensified,  if  pos- 
sible, by  the  lantern  we  carried  at  our  feet.  Tliis  sliding  into  mystery, 
swiftly  slipping  through  impalpable  gloom,  down  apparently  fathomless 
abj^sses,  is  wonderfully  stimulating  to  the  imagination. 

Fnnchal  improves  on  accpiaintance.     As  one  grows  familiar  with  its 


102  'lUIE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 

narrow  and  somewhat  intricate  streets,  he  rapidly  discovers  objects  of  in- 
terest which  relieve  the  sameness  of  the  heavy  stone  buildings.  I  never 
was  in  a  town  of  20,000  inhabitants  so  well  built,  so  cleanly  and  prosper- 
ous, and  so  well  situated,  in  which  architecture  as  an  aesthetic  art  had 
been  so  entirely  ignored  as  in  Funchal.  The  Se,  or  cathedral,  is  a  build- 
ing of  some  size,  and  its  spire  is  surmounted  by  a  gilt  globe  symbolizing 
the  former  world-wide  dominion  of  Portugal.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
designed  by  Mattheus  Fernandez,  one  of  the  great  architects  who  con- 
structed the  famous  church  and  cloisters  of  Batallia.  The  Se  is  pleasing 
in  its  general  plan,  while  the  poverty  of  the  founders  probably  prevented 
much  elaboration.  But  the  ceiling  of  the  nave  and  transept,  beautifully 
carved  out  of  junipei",  and  tinted  and  gilded,  deserves  careful  attention. 
The  Church  of  Santa  Clara  is  an  interesting  old  building.  It  contains 
the  grave  of  Zarco,  the  Portuguese  discoverer  of  Madeira. 

On  the  way  to  the  Mount  Church  is  an  old  dwelling,  whose  two  front 
windows,  mullioned  in  stone,  are  suggestive  of  Moorish  art.  But  if  art 
has  done  little  for  Funchal,  nature  has  done  much  to  atone  for  this.  Many 
of  the  solid  but  unpretentious  houses  conceal  rare  attractions  within  their 
gates,  revealed  like  magic  to  him  who  steps  within,  nnprepared  for  the 
sight,  and  finds  terraced  gardens  overlooking  the  ocean  and  the  mountains, 
and  stocked  with  the  profuse  vegetation  of  two  zones.  The  palm  and 
the  pine,  the  cypress  and  the  magnolia,  the  pomegranate  and  the  banana, 
the  walnut  and  the  guava,  the  a[)ple  and  the  coffee-tree,  the  rose  apple 
and  the  chestnut,  intertwine  their  various  shades  of  perennial  verdure  in 
a  fi'aternal  embrace  that  seems  to  nnite  different  climes  as  in  Eden  ;  while 
tiie  oleander,  the  fuchsia,  the  geranium,  the  hortensia,  the  bougainvillia, 
the  heliotrope,  the  acacia,  the  jessamine,  and  numerous  other  flowers  of 
i)riiliant  hues  and  spicy  odors,  growing  wild  in  vast  quantities,  clamber 
over  trellis  and  wall,  and  blend  tlieir  fragrance  from  one  season  to  anoth- 
er; for  on  this  enchanted  isle  neither  the  frosts  of  winter  nip  their  buds, 
nor  the  rage  of  the  dog-star  fades  their  scarlet  and  blue. 

The  market-place  of  Funchal  is  also  an  object  of  attraction,  although 
the  many  varieties  of  fruits  and  vegetables  displayed  in  its  stalls  do  not 
generally  reach  the  excellence  of  their  native  climes,  excepting  the  grape, 
the  fig,  and  the  strawberry;  the  latter  lasts  all  sunnner,  and  is  superior 
in  flavor  to  our  best.  The  peach  is  not  comparable  to  a  good  Jersey 
})eacli ;  apples  and  pears  are  hard  and  tasteless;  but  the  flavorless  char- 
acter of  the  fruits  of  Madeira  must  be  owing  chiefly  to  the  little  attention 
paid  to  improving  them,  for  agriculture  is  conducted  in  a  primitive  man- 
ner, while  the  mildness  of  the  temperature  and  fertility  of  the  arable  soil 


MADEIHA. 


103 


would  seein  to  offer  the  conditions  essential  to  successful  linsLcandry ;  but 
it  may  be  that  this  very  mildness  is  the  cause  of  this  defect  in  the  veg-e- 
table  productions  of  Madeira.  A  sharper  air  in  winter,  a  fiercer  heat  in 
summer,  may  be  necessary  to  complete  excellence.  The  oak,  for  example, 
fiourishes  here,  and  its  foliage  is  perennial ;  but  the  wood  is  soft  and  com- 
})aratively  valueless. 

Venomous  insects  and  sei'pents,  which  are  one  of  the  scourges  of  the 
tropics,  are  happily  almost   unknown  in  Madeira,  with  the  exception   of 


CHURCH    OF     NOSTRA    SENIIORA     DO     MONTB. 


a  small  species  of  tarantula,  which  is  not  common.  Its  bite,  although 
very  painful,  is  not  often  fatal.  I  once  had  an  adventure  with  one  which 
afforded  me  a  little  exciting  sport.  I  was  occupying  at  the  time  a  small 
building  containing  two  apartments,  standing  alone  in  the  vineyard  be- 
hind Holway's  Hotel — a  very  cosy  little  box,  where  I  passed  many  a 
pleasant   evening.      Frou)    the   balcony   I   could   overlook   the   lights   of 


lU-i  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Funclial  or  of  the  sliips  at  anchor,  and  listen  to  the  music  of  the  bells 
stealing  up  from  the  town,  or  the  regular  beat  of  the  surf  on  the  shore. 
Often  the  upward  rush  of  scores  of  I'ockets,  blending  their  red,  blue,  and 
green  stars  with  the  stars  which  spatigle  the  serene  skies,  added  to  the 
interest  of  the  prospect  from  my  window.  Nowhere  is  there  a  greater 
delight  taken  in  fireworks  than  in  Madeira.  Every  saint's  day  is  cele- 
brated by  the  explosion  of  hundreds  and  thousands  of  rockets,  and  the 
birthdays  of  the  wealthier  citizens  afford  fresh  opportunities  for  the  ex- 
plosion of  these  aerial  baubles.  Every  church  in  the  island  has  also  its 
novana,  or  nine  days'^t'^fe,  and  during  the  whole  nine  days  rockets  are  sent 
up  at  intervals  by  the  score. 

Well,  on  the  evening  in  question  I  was  quietly  reading,  absorbed  in 
Byron's  tragedy  of  "  Werner,"  when  I  became  conscious,  without  know- 
ing exactly  why,  that  there  was  something  in  the  middle  of  the  floor 
which  had  not  been  there  a  moment  before.  On  looking  around,  I  saw 
a  tarantula  deliberately  marching  across  the  room  and  coming  toward 
me.  He  evidently  wanted  my  chair,  and  I  concluded  to  let  him  have 
it.  As  more  light  on  the  subject  was  desirable,  I  then  went  into  my 
bedroom  and  brought  out  another  candle.  When  I  returned,  he  was  sit- 
ting exactly  in  the  centre  of  the  chair  I  had  just  vacated.  The  cushion 
was  scarlet  and  he  was  black,  a  sort  of  velvety  black,  like  a  large  button 
of  that  color.  But  I  could  not  stop  to  admire  the  harmony  of  colors,  for 
he  was  closely  watching  my  motions ;  and  as  the  tarantida  is  aggressive, 
and  can  jump  several  feet,  he  is  not  to  be  trifled  with.  I  went  after  a 
heavy  walking-club  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  meantime  he  hopped 
on  the  flap  of  the  table-cloth  which  was  close  to  the  chair.  This  was  a 
false  move  on  his  part.  Gently  raising  the  end  of  the  cloth  below  him 
with  the  stick,  I  gradually  coaxed  him  on  to  the  top  of  the  table,  which 
was  exactly  where  I  wanted  him.  Quietly  I  removed  everything  off 
the  table,  in  order  to  have  a  clear  field  of  operations.  He  watched  me 
intently  with  his  bright,  intensely  black  bead -like  eyes,  quickly  turning 
around  to  face  me  every  time  I  moved.  It  was  a  fair  game  on  each  side, 
but  he  did  not  improve  his  opportunities.  When  all  was  ready,  I  took 
up  a  volume  of  Euskin's  "Modern  Painters'' — a  work  which  has  proved 
itself  of  great  weight,  and  has  demolished  more  than  one  reputation — and, 
takino-  deliberate  aim,  brouo-ht  it  down  with  great  force  on  the  devoted 
tarantula.  When  I  took  up  the  book  the  creature  was  not  there.  It  was 
now  of  the  last  importance  to  find  out  if  he  had  jumped  on  me.  The 
dark  color  of  my  clothes,  and  the  fact  that  I  could  not  very  well  see  my 
own  back,  made  it  difficult  to  settle  this  satisfactorily  for  some  moments. 


MADEIRA.  105 

Fui'tlier  search,  however,  showed  the  tarantula  under  the  sofa  in  tlie 
corner  of  the  room.  I  liurled  tlie  cl^ub  at  him,  end  on,  with  a  fnry  which 
indented  the  wall,  but  he  briskly  avoided  the  danger;  and  another  hunt 
revealed  him  under  a  chair,  this  time  thoroughly  frightened,  it  would  seem, 
for  he  allowed  me  to  lift  the  chair  and  carry  it  away.  Still  confident  in 
the  destructive  powers  of  Kiiskin,  I  brought  the  volume  down  once  more 
on  the  tarantula,  and  this  time  his  back  was  broken.  I  still  have  faith  in 
Ruskin,  at  least  under  certain  circumstances.  Leaving  the  tarantula  on 
the  field  where  he  had  fallen,  I  then  went  to  bed,  thankful  to  feel  that 
I  was  rid  of  a  very  unpleasant  bedfellow.  I  have  known  several  cases 
where  a  tarantula  has  crept  between  the  sheets  unbidden. 

The  next  morning  I  arose  and  went  to  look  at  him ;  he  was  still  there. 
I  returned  to  bed  and  took  another  nap  and  a  cup  of  chocolate.  But 
when  I  looked  for  the  tarantula  a  second  time  1  found  that  the  cockroaches 
had  completely  devoured  him,  excepting  the  two  hard,  black,  glistening 
eyes,  which  lay  on  the  floor  like  bits  of  polished  jet. 

But  Funchal  is  not  the  whole  of  Madeira :  it  is,  in  fact,  but  the  vesti- 
bule to  scenes  of  greater  interest  and  beauty,  and  it  was  therefore  with 
much  satisfaction  that  I  completed  a  bargain  for  a  boat-ci'uise  along 
])art  of  the  southern  coast.  I  had  a  crew  of  four  stout  fellows,  and  an 
able  boat  provided  with  sail  and  awning.  We  started  about  sunrise,  and 
skirted  cliffs  standing  many  hundred  feet  perpendicularly  above  the  sea, 
richly  colored  with  volcanic  tints,  sometimes  showing  spots  of  pure  ver- 
milion inlaid  with  burnt  sienna  and  Indian  red.  Reeds  and  grass  grew 
on  the  ledges,  partially  draping  the  nakedness  of  the  pi'ecipices  as  a  cinct- 
ure of  leaves  dangles  around  the  tattooed  waist  of  a  Feejee  warrior.  Little 
boys  and  gii-ls  were  barely  discernible  here  and  there,  skipping  like  goats 
fi'oni  ledge  to  ledge  at  dizz}'  heights,  gathering  grass  on  these  unpromis- 
ing spots.  Passing  under  the  remarkable  promontory  called  Brazen  Head, 
M'e  came  to  Atalaya  Rock,  which  resembles  a  vast  oak  riven  by  a  thunder- 
bolt. We  continually  met  boats  bound  to  Funchal  with  vegetables  and 
firewood,  until,  toward  noon,  we  reached  Santa  Cruz,  where  our  boat  was 
hauled  on  the  beach,  and  I  proceeded  on  a  quiet  ramble,  finishing  up  with 
dinner  at  the  charming  hotel. 

Santa  Cruz  is  at  the  opening  of  one  of  the  profound  torrent  gorges 
which  are  a  distinguishing  feature  in  every  Madeira  landscape,  and  affords 
some  fine  bits  of  scenery.  A  sail  of  an  hour  from  here  took  us  to  Ma- 
chico,  where  the  boat  was  beached,  and  after  some  search  I  obtained  a 
room  in  a  private  house  for  the  night. 

Anna  Dorset  was  sought  in  marriage,  in  the  days  of  Edward  III.,  by 


106  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Robert  Machin,  a  gentleman,  and  they  both  lived  in  Devon  by  the  sea. 
But  he  was  of  lower  station  than  the  lady — at  one  time,  and,  unfortunately, 
still  too  often,  the  accursed  cause  of  much  heartache  and  the  separation 
of  souls  whom  God,  if  not  the  priest,  has  joined.  Her  friends  made 
haste  to  patch  up  a  marriage  between  Anna  and  a  nobleman,  whose  birth, 
if  not  his  wits,  was  equal  to  hei's.  But  Machin — and  who  that  has  loved 
can  blame  him  ? — was  not  of  the  stuff  that  can  tamely  submit  to  sucli 
petty  tyranny.  He  persuaded  one  of  his  friends  to  enter  the  service  of 
the  lady's  hnsband,  and  in  that  capacity  become  her  attendant.  By  this 
means  it  was  planned  that  she  should  elope  to  Fi'ance.  A  galley  was 
procured,  and  one  night  the  lady  fled  from  her  lord's  castle,  and  embarked 
with  her  lover  at  Bristol,  forsaking  her  native  land,  never  to  return.  The 
night  was  wild  and  dark  with  threatening  tempests,  but  they  had  no  al- 
ternative but  to  put  to  sea.  Scarcely,  however,  had  they  cleared  the  coast, 
when  a  north-easter  struck  the  vessel  and  forced  them  to  bear  away  before 
it.  Thirteen  days  they  scudded,  and  at  last  made  land — a  strange,  cloud- 
hidden,  unknown,  and  nninhabited  land,  offering  only  tremendous  preci- 
pices and  surf-beaten  rocks  on  its  northern  coast;  but,  on  rounding  a 
savage  cape,  they  came  to  the  southern  side,  and  there,  at  the  bottom  of 
a  snug  little  bay,  stretched  a  beach,  on  which  they  landed,  and  found  them- 
selves in  a  grassy  vale,  w'ell  watered,  musical  with  the  melody  of  birds 
and  streams,  and  shaded  by  majestic  trees,  seemingly  sheltered  from  the 
boisterous  world  by  lofty  mountains.  Here  Anna  and  her  lovei"  rested 
three  days — perhaps,  in  each  other's  society,  forgetting  the  land  they  had 
left  behind  and  the  stormy  scenes  which  had  intervened,  and  hoping  that 
in  this  paradise  they  had  at  last  gained  an  asylum  where  they  might  pass 
their  remaining  daj^s  in  peace.  But  another  storm  drove  the  galley  to 
sea,  and,  overcome  by  this  new  calamity,  added  to  her  already  ten-ible 
suffering  of  body  and  sonl,  the  lady  expired.  Five  days  passed,  and  Rob- 
ert Machin,  too  faithful  in  his  love,  also  succumbed  to  the  anguish  of  these 
accumulated  afflictions,  and  was  buried  at  her  side.  Their  surviving  com- 
rades erected  a  cross  over  the  grave  of  the  lovers,  and  then  embarked  in 
a  rudely  constructed  craft  and  were  blown  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  whither 
the  galley  had  already  been  driven,  and  lier  crew  reduced  to  slavery  by 
the  Moors.  A  companion  in  their  captivity  was  the  Spaniai-d  Juan  de 
Morales,  who  was  eventually  ransomed  and  sailed  for  Spain  ;  but  he  was 
captured  on  the  way  by  the  Portuguese  navigator  Joao  Gonsalez  Zarco, 
who  learned  from  him  the  story  of  Machin  and  Madeii-a.  Associating 
Teixera,  an  experienced  pilot,  with  himself,  and  also  taking  Morales,  Zarco 
sailed  in  quest  of  this  island.     The  remains  of  Machin  and  Anna  were 


MADEIRA. 


107 


found  as  described,  and  a  small  chapel  was  erected  over  tlieni,  wliicli  ex- 
ists to  this  day. 

Such  is  the  one  legend  of  Madeira,  a  tragedy  replete  with  patlios,  the 
substantial  truth  of  which  has  been  contirnied  by  recent  investigations. 
Machico  and  its  valley,  named  after  its  ill-fated  discoverer,  seemed  to  me 
well  fitted  to  be  the  scene  of  a  story  so  tender  and  affecting.  The  town, 
once  a  rival  to  Funchal,  is  now  only  a  humble  farming  and  tisliing  vil- 
lage. A  few  barefooted,  poverty-stricken  peasants  cultivate  the  terraced 
sides  of  the  valley;  a  few  fishing-boats  lie  on  the  beach  ;  an  old  fort,  half- 
hidden  by  overhanging  plane-trees,  points  the  cobwebbed  muzzles  of  dis- 
mounted guns,  at  fleets  which  pass  at  a  distance  and  aim  at  it  nothing 
fiercer  than  the  lens  of  the  perspective  glass.     The  only  garrison  of  this 


grizzly  veteran  of  sieges  and  b(jmbardments  that  have  never  been  fought 
were  a  whiskered  Portuguese  and  a  portly  dame,  apparently  the  guardians, 
possibly  the  parents,  of  a  maiden  whom  I  saw  embroidering  in  one  of  the 
embrasures,  singing  to  herself  and  tapping  an  old  cannon  with  her  foot 
— one  of  the  very  few  really  beautiful  girls  (let  it  be  breathed  in  a  whis- 
per) whom  I  was  privileged  to  see  on  the  island.  Several  quintas  are 
scattered  about  the  valley,  and  on  a  spur  projecting  from  the  mountain- 
sides, a  mile  or  two  from  the  shore,  are  the  gray  ruins  of  a  nunnery, 
which  the  abolition  of  convents  throughout  the  Portuguese  dominions  lias 
left  roofless  and  desolate.  It  is  superbly  situated,  and  commands  at  sunset 
a  prospect  of  surpassing  beauty  and  grandeur. 

The  long  beat  of  the  surf  on  the  shore  lulled  me  to  early  dreams 
after  a  prime  cup  of  tea  and  a  dish  of  broiled  mullets  just  out  of  the  sea. 


108  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

The  slionting  of  the  fisliermen  starting  on  their  daily  trip  to  the  fisliing- 
ground  aroused  me  at  three  next  morning;  and,  after  a  breakfast  the  coun- 
terpart of  the  meal  of  the  previous  evening,  we  shoved  off  and  sailed  away 
with  the  morning- star  for  our  beacon,  the  dawning  splendor  of  pearl 
and  gold  broadening  in  the  east.  We  reached  Fora  Island  about  eight 
o'clock.  This  is  a  bold  cliff  at  the  extreme  end  of  San  Lorenzo  Cape", 
over  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  surmounted  by  a  light-house  erected 
but  six  years  since,  which  is  the  only  guide  for  the  mariner  to  be  found 
either  in  the  Madeiras  or  the  Azores — a  circumstance  very  disgraceful  to 
Portugal.  The  keeper  of  the  light-house  and  his  assistant  welcomed  us 
with  the  cordiality  of  men  whose  social  advantages  are  Cj-usoenian.  As 
a  dingy,  greasy  copy  of  Camoens's  "Lusiad"  was  the  only  sign  of  print 
to  be  seen  on  the  premises,  the  mental  resources  of  these  stylites  appeared 
not  less  meagre,  although  good  so  far  as  they  went.  The  Connecticut 
clock  in  the  entrance-hall  also  indicated  that  these  recluses  took  "  no  note 
of  time,"  for  it  was  one  hour  and  three-quarters  slow.  Justice  requires 
me  to  admit  that  the  lantern  itself  is  mounted  in  a  building  admirably 
adapted  to  the  purpose,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  Fresnel  lights  on  any 
coast,  revolving  twice  a  minute,  and  visible  thirty  miles  at  sea :  it  is  also 
kept  in  excellent  order. 

Setting  my  easel  on  the  terrace  at  the  summit  of  the  Rock,  I  devoted 
several  hours  to  putting  on  canvas  a  sketch  of  the  Point  and  the  moun- 
tain ranges  in  the  background.  We  then  lunched,  and  launched  away 
for  Funchal  before  the  fresh  north-east  trade -wind  which  carried  us 
rapidly  as  far  as  Brazen  Head,  when  a  counter-current  of  air  and  a  calm 
forced  us  to  lower  our  sail  and  try  a  "  white-ash  breeze."  We  reached 
Funchal  at  sundown,  after  an  excursion  full  of  novel  pleasure  and  inci- 
dent, of  which  the  foregoing  is  but  a  mere  outline. 

On  the  following  Monday  I  made  an  early  start  on  a  wirj^  gray  horse, 
and  attended  b}'  a  burrequiero,  or  muleteer,  for  the  ascent  of  Pico  Ruivo, 
the  highest  point  in  Madeira.  As  the  road  to  the  summit  from  the  south- 
ern side,  by  Avay  of  the  Torrinhas  Pass,  was  at  the  time  impracticable, 
which  is  sa^'ing  much  in  Madeira,  it  was  necessary  to  cross  over  to  Sant' 
Anna  on  the  northern  side,  and  ascend  from  there — a  very  pleasing  alter- 
native, as  it  proved,  for  it  carried  me  through  some  of  the  finest  scen- 
ery of  the  island.  Dashing  directly  upward,  we  soon  gained  the  Mount 
Clmrch,  and  passed  into  the  clouds.  Kor  was  it  long  before  we  reached  a 
cooler  atmosphere  and  a  resting-house  at  an  elevation  of  4500  feet.  Not 
very  far  beyond  we  came  up  with  the  loft}-  summit  of  Poizo  on  our  right, 
and  the  gorge  of  the  Ribeiro  Frio,  or  Cold  River,  a  winding  caiion,  narrow 


MADEIRA. 


109 


and  thousands  of  feet  in  depth,  clothed  with  verdure,  beautiful  with  ex- 
quisite gradations  of  light  and  shade,  and  festooned  with  lazy  mist  trailing 
from  crag  to  crag.  Immediately  opposite  to  where  we  began  the  descent 
rose  the  central  range  of  the  island,  the  sharply  pinnacled  group  of  Ruivo, 
Arriero,  Sidrao,  Torres,  and  Canario ;  while  to  the  left  the  ravine  of  the 
Ribeira  Metade,  next  to 
the  Curral  the  grandest 
gorge  of  Madeira,  lost 
itself  in  the  heart  of  the 
mountains.  The  rapidi- 
ty of  the  descent  almost 
took  away  my  breath ; 
but  I  soon  became  sea- 
soned to  anything  no 
steeper  than  this,  for  the 
whole  road  to  Sant'  Anna 
was  very  much  like  go- 
ing over  the  teeth  of  a 
saw  lengthwise.  Mount- 
ing by  zigzag  roads  up 
the  sides  of  a  perpendic- 
idar  cliff,  we  would  reach 
the  ridge  only  to  descend 
at  once  on  the  other  side 
by  a  road  perhaps  more 
precipitous,  where  a  mis- 
step of  the  hoi'se  would 
plunge  the  rider  into  an 
abyss. 

Often  we  passed  the 
peasants  at  work  in  the 
fields,  which  in  Madeira 
are  mere  narrow  shelves  on  the  mountain-sides,  which  are  terraced  as 
high  up  as  3000  feet,  involving  an  amount  of  labor  and  climbing  almost 
beyond  belief.  So  scant  are  the  level  spaces  that  even  the  threshing- 
floors  are  often  mere  terraced  platforms  overhanging  the  precipices.  The 
lungs  of  the  peasantry  must,  I  am  sure,  be  abnormally  developed,  for  men 
and  women  alike  travel  all  day  up  and  down  these  steep  ascents,  bearing 
heavy  loads  on  the  head,  at  much  more  than  the  average  pace  of  a  good 
walker  on  a  level  road  in  other  countries,  and  with  no  other  aid  than  a 


VILLAGE    OF    CAMA     DO     LOBOS. 


110 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


A    THREMIING-FLOOR 


stout  staff:  and  merrilv  tliev  do  it,  too,  without  sia^ns  of  fatio-ue,  and  sinw- 
ing  as  they  go.  They  are  a  musical  race,  challenging  each  other  to  im- 
provise as  they  meet  on 
the  road,  or  chanting 
while  the  oxen  are  tread- 
ing the  wheat ;  but  it  is 
a  very  lugubrious  mu- 
sic, resembling  snatches 
of  a  funeral  dirge  very 
dolefully  rendered.  It 
is  pleasing  to  the  stran- 
ger chiefly  because  it  in- 
dicates a  cheerful,  con- 
tented spirit,  the  practi- 
cal philosophy  of  a  sim- 
ple-hearted people  who  live  out  the  celebrated  maxim  about  the  folly 
of  exchanging  ignorance  for  wisdom.  To  practise  philosophy  is  the  lot 
of  those  who  are  too  ignorant  to  understand  its  meaning ;  to  analyze  and 
preach,  but  not  to  practise  it,  is  the  privilege  of  the  few  whom  the  world 
lias  seen  fit  to  i-egard  as  sages. 

The  dwellings  of  the  peasantry  on  the  north  side  of  Madeira  are  gen- 
erally thatched  cabins  rudel}'  constructed,  liaving  but  one  room,  divided 
by  partitions  of  matting.  The  people  themselves  are  thrifty,  but  by  no 
means  comparable  with  the  Azoreans  in  personal  beauty.  They  have, 
especially  in  the  western  half  of  the  island,  a  large  infusion  of  African 
blood,  for  slavery  once  existed  there.  Their  language  is  a  patois  of  the 
Portuguese,  subdivided  into  almost  as  many  shades  as  there  are  valley 
parishes  —  a  circumstance  sufhciently  strange,  considering  that  Madeira 
has  an  area  of  only  240  square  miles.  The}'  speak  with  a  sin-ill  rising 
inflection  and  a  plaintive,  pleading  tone,  M-hicli  gives  a  ludicrously  pa- 
thetic character  to  the  merest  gossip  or  idle  banter. 

Cultivation  is  largely  dependent  on  iri'igation,  for  while  Madeira  is 
not  destitute  of  streams  running  at  all  seasons,  the  water,  at  its  sources, 
falls  from  great  heights  to  the  bottom  of  the  ravines  which  radiate  from 
the  central  mountain  group,  and,  as  the  arable  land  is  almost  entii-ely 
along  the  sides  of  these  ravines,  the  water  would  seem  unavailable ;  but 
the  problem  has  been  solved  by  the  displa}^  of  considerable  daring  and 
engineering  skill.  The  streams  are  tapped  far  up  near  their  sources,  and 
diverted  into  levadas,  or  channels,  averaging  fifteen  inches  in  width,  mean- 
dering along  the  vertical  sides  of  stupendous  precipices,  and  by  easy  gra- 


MADEIRA. 


Ill 


dutioiis  coursing;  by  all  the  gardens  and  terraces  of  tlie  island.  Sixteen 
lion  IS  in  every  forty  days  are  allowed  each  landholder  for  the  use  of 
the  current  dashing  past  his  grounds,  and  he  must  be  ready  to  avail 
liimself  of  it  whenever  notiHed  that  his  turn  has  come  ;  so  that  it  is  a 
very  common  circumstance  to  see  a  man  in  his  garden  at  midniglit  groj)- 
ing,  glowworm -like,  among  the  beds  with  hoe  and  lantern.  One  of 
these  currents  is  drawn  from  the  cataract  of  Raba9al,  where  one  may  see 
accomplished  one  of  the  most  daring  engineering  feats  of  the  age.  The 
water-fall  is  on  the  north  side,  and  has  a  sheer  descent  of  1000  feet  at 
the  head  of  a  narrow  o:or2:e ; 

for  a  large   part  of  the  year  _=^Ha  j^,^   L^Ba^i&i^T:, 

it  is  rather  a   meagre  stream         =-*a^^J  3-' 

slipping  down  the  side  of  the  <m=^; 

cliff.     The  curtain  which  heie        "'  ^ 

divides  the  northern  and  south  -  •  j5 

ern    slopes    is  but    1400    feet 
thick;    and    a    native    of    tlu        ^^ 
island,  an  officer  of  engineei-.  -^^_ 
conceived  the  idea  of  catchinu   3^£ 
tlie  water  in   its  descent,  and   ^S 
by  a  tunnel  conducting  it  to 
the   south  side,  where  it  A\ate 
most  needed.     To  accomplish 
the  undertaking,  it  was  nece& 
sary  for  the  workmen  to  lowei 
themselves  from  the  edge  of 
the    precipice,  and    thus,  sn'^ 
pended   in   the    air  by   ropes 
400  feet  from   the  abyss  be 
low,  and  constantly  drenched 
by    the    cataract,  these    unie- 
corded  heroes  labored  at  then- 
fearful  task.     When  blastinir, 
they  would  swing  out  and  la\ 
hold  of  a  bush  or  a  crag,  and    ^ 
thus  await  the  explosion.     A 
number  were  killed  before  the 
work  was  completed.     At  last 
a  trench  was  excavated  in  the  haixl  rock  of  the   cliff,  l)y  which   means 
part  of  the  water-fall  was  intercepted  and  conducted  to  the  tunnel  bored 


A     GRIST-MILL. 


112  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

through  the  mountain,  and  thus  reduced  to  service.  It  is  the  old  story 
over  ao-ain  of  Pegasus  curbed  and  harnessed  to  the  plough. 

The  parish  of  Sant'  Anna  is  a  large,  straggling  village  spreading  over 
a  plateau  somewhat  less  broken  than  the  ridges  over  which  I  had  been 
riding.  As  I  entered  its  limits,  the  road  became  wider  and  less  precip- 
itous, often  overarched  with  interweaving  shade-trees,  presenting  many  de- 
licious nooks,  with  here  and  there  a  picturesque  grist-mill  overgrown  with 
ivy  and  moss  enlivening  the  still  air  with  its  chattering.  The  thatched 
huts  were  also  very  pleasing,  embowered  in  the  foliage  of  chestnut  and 
bay  trees  clasped  by  the  creeping  arms  of  grape-vines,  and  enclosed  by 
hedges  of  fuchsia  and  geranium  growing  in  rank  profusion.  About 
3  P.M.,  I  alighted  at  the  hospitable  gate  of  Senhor  Acciaoly,  mine  host 
of  the  Sant'  Anna  Hotel,  as  well  as  the  respected  mayor  of  the  parish. 
Affable  in  his  address,  he  has  in  his  day  entertained  many  strangers  from 
abroad  who  have  sought  the  island  for  health,  science,  or  pleasure.  On 
the  pages  of  the  hotel-book  are  the  autographs  of  Commodore  Hull,  Sir 
Charles  Lyell,  and  other  celebrities.  The  hotel  is  on  the  brow  of  a  preci- 
pice 1100  feet  above  the  sea.  From  its  windows  may  be  seen  Ruivo  to 
the  south,  and  in  the  foreground  to  the  eastward  the  pointed  peak  of 
Courtado,  which  has  a  sheer  descent  of  2000  feet  to  the  surf  that  dashes 
below.  I  found  myself  rapidly  becoming  accustomed  to  look  at  the  most 
tremendous  precipices  with  the  familiarity,  but,  I  trust,  not  the  indiffer- 
ence, of  those  native  to  the  soil. 

It  rained  hard  during  the  night,  and  the  next  morning  the  mountains 
were  concealed  in  compact  masses  of  cloud,  to  the  last  degree  unpromis- 
ing of  clear  weather  on  the  heights.  To  undertake  the  ascent  of  Ruivo 
on  that  day  seemed  a  hopeless  task.  But,  about  nine,  the  clouds  began  to 
roll  up  a  little,  and,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  all,  most  especially  of  my 
grumbling  muleteer,  who  did  not  care  to  make  the  trip — and  I  did  not 
blame  him — I  decided  that,  at  any  rate,  no  harm  could  come  from  try- 
ing, while  we  might,  by  a  bare  possibility,  succeed  in  obtaining  the  view 
desired.  I  had  not  come  so  far  to  give  up  without  at  least  making  an 
attempt  to  scale  the  mountain  citadel  of  Madeira.  A  guide  from  Sant' 
Anna  accompanied  us.  Part  of  the  way  we  had  a  steep  cattle-path,  but 
the  rain  had  made  it  very  slippery,  and  the  panting  horse  had  to  be  urged 
hard  up  the  rapid,  crooked  inclines,  in  order  to  hold  his  footing,  and,  after 
a  while,  not  even  a  bridle-path  was  to  be  seen,  but  he  had  to  pick  his  way 
carefully  from  crag  to  crag.  The  fog,  in  the  mean  time,  was  so  thick 
that  nothing  was  visible  beyond  the  ground  we  trod  on.  It  was  often 
accompanied  by  heavy  showers,  and  the  guide  strongly  urged  our  return, 


MADEIRA.  113 

but,  determined,  at  least,  to  stand  on  the  summit  of  Iluivo,  1  kept  on. 
An  isolated  row  of  basaltic  columns,  joined  in  a  gigantic  wall,  served  to 
shelter  us  from  the  driving  rain  as  we  rested  at  noon,  and  somewhat  dis- 
consolately discussed  our  cold  chicken  and  wine.  Occasionally,  tantaliz- 
ing glimpses  of  ragged  cliffs  and  gorges  appeared  in  the  gray  mist  only 
to  disappear  in  a  twinkliug.  An  hour  later  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
horse  with  the  burrequiero,  and,  with  the  guide,  climb  the  remainder  of 
the  way  on  foot.  Passing  through  a  cleft  in  the  ridge,  we  gradually  as- 
cended the  precipitous  sides  of  Ruivo,  threading  a  tortuous  path  among 
enormous  heath-trees  of  a  hoar  antiquity,  dating,  perhaps,  beyond  the 
dawn  of  history.  Weird  beyond  description  did  these  antediluvians  ap- 
pear in  the  ghostly  folds  of  the  dripping  mist,  their  limbs  and  trunks  vio- 
lently distorted  and  convoluted  in  multitudinous  grotesque  shapes,  as  if 
here  the  Dryads  and  Ma;nads  had  heard  the  cry,  "  Great  Pan  is  dead  !" 
and  had  been  suddenly  lixed  while  writhing  in  the  despairing  agonies 
of  dissolution. 

At  length  the  last  rock  was  surmounted,  and  the  guide  impressively 
said — at  least  it  soynded  impressive  to  rae — "  Pico  Ruivo !"  We  stood 
6200  feet  above  the  ocean.  But  clouds  were  overhead  and  beneath  us 
and  around  us.  Kothing  but  opaque  masses  of  cloud,  frantically  driven 
past  us  by  an  angry  wind,  frore  as  if  directly  from  the  frozen  north. 
Closely  wrapped  in  my  overcoat,  I  waited  anxiously  for  some  break  in 
the  clouds  tliat  would  at  least  partially  repay  me  for  the  trouble  of  the 
ascent.  Half  an  hour  went  by,  and  I  was  about  to  descend,  when,  far 
below,  the  clouds  seemed  to  grow  thin,  and  the  shoulder  of  a  peak  was 
seen  coyly  appearing.  After  this,  glimpses  of  the  landscape  became  quite 
frequent;  then,  of  a  sudden,  as  if  a  curtain  had  been  withdrawn  at  a  sig- 
nal, the  clouds  parted  above,  revealing  the  clear  sky  intensely  blue,  and, 
at  the  same  instant,  Ruivo  and  its  group  of  Titanic  companions  nncovered 
their  heads  and  came  forth  in  all  their  majesty,  heightened,  if  possible, 
by  the  mantles  of  cloud  which  gathered,  fold  on  fold,  in  the  gorges,  deep- 
enincr  bv  contrast  the  a;lorv  of  the  sunlight  which  illumined  the  thunder- 
scarred  faces  of  the  upper  cliffs,  then  suddenly  seized  by  the  gusts  that 
swept  through  the  passes,  surging  upward  in  curling,  roseate  columns  like 
the  steam  arising  from  a  vast  caldron  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Around 
Ruivo  towered  Sidnlo, Torres,  Torrinhas,  Arriero,  Canario,  and  Pico  Grande, 
at  an  elevation  of  from  5500  to  over  6000  feet,  all  within  a  radius  of  three 
miles,  and  cloven  to  their  bases  by  ravines  of  stupendous  depth.  Around 
the  angle  of  the  vertical  wall  of  Torres,  the  gorge  of  the  Grande  Curral 
das  Freiras  was  partially  visible;  to  the  south-east  rose  the  Lamoceiros 

8 


114  THE    ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Pass  and  Penha  d'Agnia;  in  the  north,  tlie  Arco  of  Sjio  Jorge  ;  and  around 
all,  only  five  miles  distant,  north  or  south,  rolled  the  ocean,  appearing 
dark  sapphire  through  rifts  in  the  tumultuous  array  of  clouds  which  seemed 
let  loose  in  aerial  battle  over  its  apparently  boundless  surface ;  for  the 
horizon -line  often  blended  with  the  sky,  and  soared  far  up  toward  the 
zenith.  Along  the  verge  of  ocean,  clouds  reposed  in  ranks,  gleaming  pure 
as  beaten  gold,  and  resembling  icebergs  at  the  pole.  Never  have  I  gazed 
upon  a  scene  equalling  in  sublimity  that  awful  and  ovei-powering  specta- 
cle from  the  summit  of  Ruivo — a  scene  to  mould  the  character  and  stamp 
its  memory  on  the  soul  forever. 

How  long  I  should  have  remained  riveted  to  that  spot  entranced  I 
cannot  tell,  if  the  clouds  had  not  closed  over  it  as  suddenly  as  they  had 
opened,  and  in  an  instant  all  again  became  gray  and  dim,  as  if  what  I  had 
just  gazed  upon  were  but  the  wild  vision  of  a  brain  steeped  in  the  subtle 
fumes  of  opium. 

On  the  following  morning  I  was  again  in  the  saddle  for  Funchal,  re- 
turning by  way  of  the  Lamoceiros  Pass.  From  the  smiling  plateau  of 
Sant'  Anna  we  dived  into  a  narrow  but  beautiful  valley,  where  culture 
and  natu]-e  held  united  sway,  and  then  scaled  the  steep  side  of  Conrtado. 
At  the  summit,  I  checked  the  horse  to  gaze  over  the  superb  scenes  we  had 
just  traversed ;  then,  turning  liis  head,  I  passed,  without  warning,  through 
a  cut  in  the  razor-like  smnmit  of  the  ridge,  and  came  with  startling  sud- 
denness upon  the  edge  of  a  precipice  falling  2000  feet,  with  the  ocean 
directly  below,  but  so  far  down  that  the  roar  of  the  surf  reached  the  up- 
per air  like  the  echo  of  voices  long  missed  but  still  ringing  faintly  in  the 
memory.  The  effect  was  precisely  as  if  one  were  to  open  a  door  to  step 
fi'oin  one  room  to  another  at  the  top  of  his  house,  and  be  arrested  on  the 
sill  by  finding  himself  stepping  into  space,  and  the  half  of  his  house  pros- 
trate at  his  feet.  Before  us  rose  the  rock  of  Penha  d'Aguia,  or  Eagle's 
Eyry,  a  cube  of  volcanic  stone  high  as  Gibraltar,  on  all  sides  nearly 
perpendicular,  and  projecting  into  the  sea,  where  three  caiions  (the  Ili- 
beira  Secco,  the  Ribeira  Metade,  and  the  Ribeira  Frio)  converge  and 
unite  their  torrent  streams.  On  one  side  of  the  Penha  is  the  village  of 
Faial ;  on  the  other,  Porto  do  Cruz — each  on  a  small  bay,  almost  inac- 
cessible, however,  as  a  harbor,  owing  to  the  vast  rollers  wdiich  tumble 
in  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  From  Courtado  Peak  to  Faial  the  zigzag 
road  was  paved  with  small  triangular  stones  along  the  face  of  the  cliff, 
but  it  was  very  narrow  and  frightfully  steep ;  in  fact,  the  steepest  road 
in  the  world  attempted  on  horseback,  and  entirely  unprotected  by  a  para- 
pet.    Gradually  picking  our  way  down  to  Faial  and  across  the  stony  bed 


MADEIRA. 


115 


of  the  three  torrents  around  the  basis  of  the  Penlia  d'Aguia,  we  came  to 
the  romantic  village  of  Porto  do  Cruz,  after  climbing  a  bit  of  road  so 
steep  and  broken,  it  was  only  by  severe  and  constant  application  of  the 
whip  that  the  horse  was  kept  on  his  feet,  while  the  rider  leaned  well  for- 
ward to  retain  his  seat,  and  momentarily  expected  a  dangerous  fall. 

From  this  village  to  the  Laraoceiros  Pass  was  a  steady,  rapid,  zigzag 
ascent  of  2300  feet,  but  the  road  was  wider  and  in  better  order.  A  water- 
fall, flashing  down  the  mountain-side  near  the  road,  added  greatly  to  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  prospects  in  Madeira.  After  gaining  the  Pass, 
■we  turned  to  the  south  side  of  the  island,  across  the  head  of  the  valley 
of  Machico,  descending  into  the  green  recesses  of  a  glen  upon  wliose  lush 
grasses  the  Lotus-eaters  might 
repose  content,  and  dream  years 
away,  lulled  by  the  carol  of 
streams  wandering  under  the 
rustling  foliage  of  aspen,  laurel, 
and  chestnut  trees.  We  lunch- 
ed by  a  brook-side,  and,  climb- 
ing agaiji,  reached  the  elevated 
table -land  of  the  Santa  Serra, 
overgrown  with  broom,  and  en- 
tirely different  from  the  scenery 
we  had  been  traversing.  After 
a  while  we  came  again  to  deep 
ravines,  and  ascenditig  and  de- 
scending, and  deviously  wend- 
ins:  *  the  usual  mode  of  travel 
in  Madeira,  came  to  the  village  of  Camacha,  where  the  charming  villas 
gaze  on  the  ocean  far  below,  through  the  branches  of  chestnut-groves.  I 
afterward  spent  two  months  in  Camacha,  and  can  truthfully  recommend 
it  as  one  of  the  most  delightful  sunnner  residences  in  the  world,  and  the 
nearest  approach  to  an  ideal  paradise  I  have  ever  seen.  Farther  on, 
Funchal,  gleaming  like  pearl  in  the  slant  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  burst  on 
our  view,  thousands  of  feet  below.  At  this  point  I  found  a  sledge  station, 
and  dashed  down  to  the  city,  over  three  miles,  in  fifteen  minutes. 

Another  excursion,  oftener  made  than  any  other,  because  more  acces- 
sible, is  the  trip  to  the  Grande  Curral.  The  last  time  I  visited  it  I  was 
en  route  to  San  Vincente,  and  as  parts  of  the  road  to  be  traversed  are  un- 


PEA^AM»     HLl     AND     PfcASANTs 


*  "AvavTU  Karavra  irdpavrd  re.  Soxjiid. — Iliad,  xxiii. 


116  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

travelled  by  horses,  I  took  a  hammock.  The  hammock  was  stretched  on 
a  pole,  and  shaded  at  the  head  by  a  canopy.  The  ends  of  the  pole  rested 
obliquely  on  the  shoulders  of  two  stout  bearers,  who  started  off  at  a  swing- 
ing pace  between  a  walk  and  a  trot,  which  was  kept  up  most  of  the  dis- 
tance to  the  Curral,  not  less  than  ten  miles,  with  a  rest  once  in  three  miles 
at  a  venda,  when  ii pour  hoire  was  expected  and  sometimes  obtained.  The 
men  showed  little  sign  of  fatigue,  although,  like  all  Madeira  roads,  tliis 
was  always  np  and  down  steep  grades.  Soon  after  leaving  the  limits  of 
Fnnchal  we  came  in  sight  of  the  village  of  Cama  do  Lobos  and  Cabo  Gi- 
ram,  a  vertical  cliff  2185  feet  high,  bathing  its  feet  in  the  sea  waves.  It  is 
the  loftiest  sea  cliff  in  the  world.  Leaving  this  on  our  left,  we  entered 
the  Estreito  district,  which  is  virtually  the  wine-growing  district  of  Madei- 
ra, the  slopes  being  densely  covered  with  vines  trained  on  trellises  which 
often  overarch  the  road.  The  little  wine  raised  on  the  north  side  and  at 
Porto  Santo  is  of  inferior  quality,  and  is  changed  into  brandy,  which  is 
mixed  with  the  best  Madeira.  The  vine  was  first  introduced  into  the  isl- 
and from  Cyprus  in  1425,  and  the  red  volcanic  soil  gave  it  a  flavor  which 
brought  it  into  rapid  repute.  The  Shakspearian  student  will  remember 
Poins's  allusion  to  it  when  he  says  to  Falstaff,  "  Jack,  how  agrees  the  devil 
and  thee  about  thy  soul,  that  thou  soldest  him  on  Good-Friday  last  for 
a  cup  of  madeira!"  Until  1852  this  noble  wine  continued  to  sparkle  on 
the  board  of  those  whose  cellars  contained  the  rarest  wines.  In  that  year 
the  yield  was  about  20,000  pipes ;  tlien,  witliout  warning,  a  blight — a  fun- 
gus on  the  plant  and  fruit,  called  the  o'kleum  Tuckeri — made  its  appear- 
ance, and  in  1853  the  yield  fell  to  100  pipes!  This  has  continued  until 
within  twelve  years.  The  suffe)-ing  resulting  from  the  sudden  collapse  of 
the  wealth-bearing  resources  of  the  island  w^as  beyond  computation.  Af- 
ter a  wliile  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane  restored  a  portion  of  Madeira's 
lost  prosperity.  Still  later,  a  way  was  found  of  counteracting  the  spread 
of  the  blight,  and  partially  resuming  the  production  of  wine.  This  is 
done  by  blowing  the  powder  of  sulphur  flowers  over  both  vine  and  grapes, 
a  very  laborious  process,  as  may  be  easily  imagined.  Madeira  wine,^-»a;' 
excellence^  is  made  from  the  mixture  of  grapes  dark  and  wdiite,  and  from 
a  light  claret  color  gradually  pales  into  a  topaz  hue  of  surpassing  richness. 
Four  other  sorts  are  also  produced — Malmsey,  Bual,  Sercial,  and  Tinta, 
all  excellent.  The  first  is  too  well  known  to  require  further  mention;  the 
last,  from  the  Burgundy  grape,  is  a  mild,  red  wine. 

From  the  Estreito  district  our  hammock-bearers  gayly  swung  us  from 
heischt  to  heio-ht,  under  the  shade  of  ancient  chestnut  forests.  At  noon 
we  reached  the  edge  of  the  woodland,  and  a  few  rods  of  steep  climbing 


MADEIRA. 


117 


brought  us  suddenly  to  the  briidc  of  a  basin  of  appalling  depth.  We 
stood  on  the  edge  of  the  Grande  Curral  das  Freiras,  and  gazed  upon  one 
of  the  most  sublime  landscapes  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  The  form  of 
the  valley  at  once  suggests  a  crater,  but  geologists  assure  us  that  such  is 
not  its  character.  The  bottom  of  the  gorge  is  2500  feet  above  the  sea- 
level,  while  the  average  height  of  its  vertical  sides  is  over  2000  feet.  At 
the  north-eastei-n  end  ai-e  grouped  Ruivo,  Torres,  Sidrao,  Canario,  and  Tor- 


PENHA    U'aGUIA. 


rinhas,  rising  nearly  4000  feet  above  the  torrent  which  courses  along  the 
bottom  of  the  canon  and  slips  away  to  the  sea  through  a  cleft  too  narrow 
to  permit  of  a  road.  The  ragged  ridges  and  needle-like  pinnacles  towered 
rosy-red  against  a  sky  of  an  azure  far  deeper  than  is  seen  in  our  climate. 
In  the  centre  of  the  Curral,  on  a  small  green  plateau,  stands  the  white 
Church  of  Nostra  Senhora  de  Livramente,  surrounded  by  the  thatched 
roofs  of  a  hamlet,  appearing  at  that  depth  like  mites.  Of  less  extent 
than  the  Yosemite,  the  Curral  scarcely  yields  to  that  in  actual  grandeur. 


118  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

There  is  the  same  abruptness  of  precipice,  the  same  impressive  sublimity 
in  the  grouping-  of  peaks,  to  produce,  within  a  narrow  compass,  an  over- 
powering effect;  the  massing  of  light  and  shade  is  perhaps  superior, 
presenting  coiiti-asts  of  terrific  strength  as  cliffs  project  into  space  ruddy 
as  living  coals  in  the  blaze  of  sunset,  wliile  the  ravines  recede  into  un- 
fatliomable  depths  of  Tartarean  mystery  and  gloom.  The  local  coloring 
is  also  varied  and  rich,  affording  the  artist  not  only  chiaro-oscuro  and 
form,  but  also  color,  the  mnsical  or  emotional  element  in  landscape. 

From  this  spot  we  proceeded  somewhat  over  a  mile  farther,  until  we 
could  look  into  the  goi'ge  of  the  Serra  d'Agoa,  which,  in  the  form  of  a 
right  angle,  runs  from  the  Cnrral  to  the  sea,  and  is  but  little  inferior  to 
it  in  sublimity.  Winding  along  a  narrow  dike,  which  separates  the  two 
gorges,  we  came  to  a  place  where  the  dividing  rock  was  not  over  twen- 
ty feet  wide.  On  either  side  was  a  chasm  not  less  than  2000  feet  deep. 
Among  so  many  astonishing  views  it  is  difficult  to  select  the  llnest;  but 
after  surveying  about  every  striking  prospect  in  Madeira,  I  am  inclined 
to  think,  excepting  the  view  from  Ruivo,  that  this  one  is  the  most  impres- 
sive ;  and  as  few  tra\ellers  ever  go  beyond  tlie  fii"st  halt  on  the  edge  of  the 
Curral,  I  most  heartily  advise  them  to  push  on  a  little  farther,  to  the  dike, 
and  to  the  rock  called  "  Bocclia  dos  Inaraorados,"  in  spite  of  the  remon- 
strances of  the  ham  mock -bearers.  Skirting  the  perpendicular,  streamy 
sides  of  Pico  Grande,  we  descended  into  the  romantic  recesses  of  the 
8erra  d'Agoa,  densely  wooded  with  primeval  forests  of  the  grotesque 
and  dusky  til^  which  is  found  only  on  this  island  and  the  Canaries.  The 
forms  and  grouping  of  the  castellated  peaks,  as  seen  from  the  venda, 
where  we  halted  for  agoa  diente^  is  extraoi'dinarily  beautiful.  From  here 
we  again  scaled  the  ridge  wdiich  separates  the  northern  and  southern  sides, 
and,  almost  falling  down  the  steep  slopes  of  the  Pico  das  Freiras,  plunged 
into  the  valley  of  San  Vincente,  the  finest  of  the  cultivated  gorges  of  the 
island.  It  is  of  considerable  length,  and  the  sun  had  already  robed  the 
regular  bastions,  3000  feet  high,  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  valley,  in  golden 
light,  and  shrouded  tlie  walls  of  the  Paul  de  Serra,  5000  feet  high,  on 
the  opposite  side,  in  purple  gloom,  as  we  passed  from  stream  to  stream, 
and,  amidst  the  mingled  music  of  peasant -gii'ls  and  cascades,  arrived  at 
the  inn.  The  building  stood  on  the  edge  of  a  natural  terrace,  in  the  cen- 
tre of  a  valley  whose  loveliness  beggars  all  description.  On  three  sides 
the  closely  grouped  mountains  enclosed  this  idyllic  spot  with  a  tremendous 
forest-clad  wall  crowned  at  one  end  by  the  pinnacle-like  Pico  das  Fi'eiras, 
soaring  to  a  height  of  6000  feet.  Numerous  streams  tripped  their  musi(;al 
journey  down  this  magical  valley,  while  on  the  fourth  side  the  ocean  was 


MADEIRA.  119 

seen  close  at  liantl,  through  a  gate-way  in  the  nionntain  barrier,  tumbling 
for  evermore  on  the  beach  with  the  ceaseless  surf  of  the  trade-winds,  and 
chanting  a  thunderous  monotone,  sublime  and  seemingly  as  eternal  as 
time.  My  room  ovei-looked  the  mountains  and  the  sea.  The  floor  was 
covered  with  beans  spread  out  to  dry,  but  the  sheets  of  the  bed  were  clean 
and  scented  with  rose  leaves  laid  between  them,  reminding  me  of  Izaak 
Walton's  Bleak  Hall,  where  the  linen  was  scented  with  lavender.  But 
the  landlord  was  half  fool,  half  knave,  and,  like  some  men  of  that  descrip- 
tion in  other  countries  who  get  office,  was  also  corregidor.  His  wife  en- 
deavored, with  well-meant  politeness,  to  make  up  for  what  was  lacking  in 
the  character  of  landlord  and  provisions.  The  latter  consisted  chiefly  of 
chickens  dressed  up  in  various  fashions,  all  equally  tasteless.  Like  most 
of  the  poultry  served  up  to  tourists  in  Madeira  outside  of  Funchal,  the 
chickens  aforesaid  had  hardly  leai'ued  to  peep  before  they  found  them- 
selves in  the  soup-tiu'een.  But  the  tea  was  good,  as  it  generally  is  wlien 
prepared  by  the  Portuguese. 

The  next  morning  we  were  off  for  Seixal.  Proceeding  down  the  val- 
ley of  San  Yincente,  we  reached  the  shore  through  a  narrow  passage  be- 
tween lava  cliffs,  and  for  a  mile  or  two  kept  on  a  level  with  the  sea;  then 
the  road  assumed  another  character.  The  northern  coast  of  Madeira  is 
for  the  most  part  a  perpendicular  cliff,  divided  here  and  there  by  ravines, 
and  occasionally  presenting  a  narrow  shelf  at  the  base.  Nothing  like  a 
sandy  beach  is  anywhere  to  be  seen.  Until  within  ten  years,  Seixal  could 
only  be  reached  by  perilous  goat-paths  over  the  mountains,  or  by  boats  in 
summer-time.  But  the  road  we  passed  over  has  been  more  recently  hewn 
by  pickaxe  and  gunpowder  out  of  solid  rock  in  the  vertical  face  of  the 
cliffs,  at  an  average  height  of  150  feet  above  the  sea,  while  the  precipice 
towers  many  hundred  feet  above.  The  road  we  found  wholly  without  a 
parapet,  and  rarely  over  Ave  feet  wide ;  in  some  places,  between  three  and 
four  feet  only.  Occasionally  we  came  to  a  water-fall  having  a  plunge  of 
1000  feet  or  more,  and  the  road  was  then  tunnelled  under  the  cascade. 
I  confess  to  an  "  awesome  feeling "  when  we  came  to  an  angle  in  the 
road  so  abrupt  that  the  hammock-bearers  stood  on  opposite  sides,  while 
the  hammock  actually,  and  without  exaggeration,  hung  in  mid-air  over 
the  surf  which  thundered  far  below.  After  that  I  concluded  to  get  out 
and  walk.  Several  fatal  accidents  have  occurred  here.  The  road  was 
interrupted  by  the  Ribeira  do  Inferno,  a  highly  romantic  gorge,  and  then 
continued  of  the  same  character  several  miles  farther  to  Seixal.  After 
lunching  on  the  porch  of  the  village  church,  which  commands  a  glori- 
ous prospect  of  land  and  sea,  we  returned  to  San  Vincente  for  the  night, 


120  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

and  started  next  morning  for  Funchal  by  way  of  Ponta  Delgada  and 
Sant'  Anna,  along  the  sea.  Mnch  of  the  road  on  this  day  resembled  the 
road  to  Seixal,  never  quite  so  narrow,  however,  and  generally  protected 
by  a  low  parapet,  so  that  it  is  passable  by  horses ;  but  it  is  much  higher, 
and  at  Boa  Ventura  springs  suddenly  to  the  height  of  near  1000  feet,  and 
one  must  have  a  cool  head  when  he  looks  over  upon  the  ocean  below. 

Another  most  delightful  trip  is  to  Calheta,  the  Rabacal  (already  al- 
luded to),  and  Ponto  Pargo,  at  the  western  end  of  the  island.  One  can 
make  the  excursion  entirely  by  land ;  but  it  is  well,  at  least,  to  go  one  way 
by  water,  in  order  fully  to  realize  the  tremendous  height  of  Cabo  Giram, 
and  to  see  some  of  the  remarkable  volcanic  rocks  of  the  southern  coast. 
One  should,  however,  be  careful  to  choose  the  weather,  and  have  reliable 
boatmen,  as  it  is  impossible  to  land  anywhere  if  it  sliould  blow  fresh  from 
the  southward.  At  Ribeira  Brava  I  was  obliged  to  lodge  in  a  peasant's 
hut ;  but  the  view  of  the  sunset  from  that  spot  toward  Ponte  de  Sol  is 
well  worth  the  sacrifice.  On  my  return,  with  a  rashness  which  caimot  be 
lecommended,  I  started  from  Calheta  with  the  wind  blowing  from  south- 
west, and  a  high  surf  rolling  on  tlie  beach ;  but  we  hoped  the  wind  would 
moderate  toward  mid-day.  It  did  exactly  the  opposite.  There  was  noth- 
ing to  be  done  but  to  run  before  it  under  a  rag  of  canvas,  the  whole  rug- 
ged coast  everywhere  presenting  an  unbroken  line  of  raging  breakers. 
The  wind  followed  ns  around  into  Funchal  Bay,  and  it  was  with  some 
diiiicnlty  we  effected  a  landing.  But  this  was  in  March.  Later  in  the 
season  there  is  less  liability  to  southerly  winds. 

Every  day  of  my  residence  in  Madeira  increased  my  enthusiasm  for 
the  inexhaustible  variety,  beauty,  and  grandeur  of  its  scenery  and  the 
deliciousness  of  its  climate.  Four  times  have  I  visited  it,  once  i-emain- 
ing  there  six  months,  and  rambling  over  it  and  painting  its  landscapes  at 
leisure ;  and  the  more  I  reflect  upon  its  scenery,  the  more  do  I  feel  that 
neither  language  nor  pencil  can  exaggerate  the  natural  attractions  of  this, 
the  finest  of  the  Atlantic  isles.  In  climate  Madeira  may  well  be  reck- 
oned among  the  Isles  of  the  Blest,  for,  in  a  word, 

"  The  climate's  deliciite  ;    tlie  air  most  sweet, 
Fertile  the  isle,  *  *  *    much  suipassing 
Tlie  praise  it  bears." 


TENERIFFE. 


121 


CHAPTER  VI. 


TENERIFFE. 


TO  ascend  this  celebrated  peak  had  long  been  my  ambition,  as  well  as, 
more  recently,  to  discover  if  the  climate  and  scenery  of  tlie  Queen  of 
the  Canaries  were  equal,  not  to  say  siiperioi-,  to  those  of  Madeira.  I  was 
glad  to  find  the  two  islands  so  different  that  comparison  was  unnecessary, 
while  I  was,  on  the  whole,  not  disappointed  by  what  I  saw  at  Teneriffe. 
Althonsh  on  a  far  sjrander  scale,  it  resembles  Pico  Island  in  the  Azores. 
r>ut  the  peak  of  the  Western  Islands,  although  but  7615  feet  high,  has  not 
only  been  seen  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  at  sea  by  observation,  but  is 
often  visible  for  half  or  two-thirds  that  distance;  while  Teneriffe,  5000  feet 
more  lofty,  is  rarely  seen  at  a  distance,  especially  from  the  north,  owing  to 


PLAZA  DE  LA  CONSTITHCION,  SANTA  CRUZ. 


peculiar  atmospheric  conditions,  particularly  after  tlie  trade-winds  begin,  in 
April.  It  was  therefore  almost  useless  for  me  to  strain  my  eyes  to  discov- 
er it  on  the  voyage,  although  the  weather  was  fine,  for  the  breezy  ides  of 
May  were  against  me.  But  the  light  near  Anaga  Point  was  visible  thirty 
miles  out,  and  the  fearfully  ragged  and  desolate  volcanic  peaks  and  cliffs 
of  the  south-eastern  coast  were  in  plain  sight  close  on  the  starboard  beam 
as  we  rounded  Anaga  in  the  pearly  gray  of  dawn.     Ere  long  Santa  Cruz 


122 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


appeared  on  the  shore  directly  ahead,  with  the  mountains  rising  behind 
in  ever-ascending  scale,  and  at  last  the  extreme  summit  of  the  great  cone 


called  the  Piton  towered  before  us,  clearly  cut  against  the  azure  of  the  sky. 
As  the  snn  arose,  the  yellow  pumice-stone  and  snow  of  the  little  peak  as- 
sumed a  rich  roseate  hue.  The  whiteness  of  the  peak  gave  to  it  and  to 
the  island  its  name.  Thener  ife  (the  white  mountain)  it  was  called  by 
the  aborigines  of  Las  Palmas,  for  so  it  looked  to  them  sixty-eight  miles 
distant.  The  Piton  is  also  called  the  Pico  de  Teyde,  a  corruption  of 
Cheyde,  the  Guanche  word  for  hell — a  title  whose  appropriateness  is  at 
once  apparent  to  one  who  ascends  the  peak. 

The  harbor  of  Santa  Cruz  is  oidy  an  open  roadstead,  whose  sole  pro- 
tection is  the  regular  character  of  the  winds  and  climate,  and  the  nature 
of  the  anchorage,  which  is  so  steep  that  a  vessel  cannot  drag  ashore,  al- 
though she  may  be  driven  out  to  sea  occasionally.  But  even  when  it  is 
calm,  the  water  of  the  port  is  always  more  or  less  agitated  by  the  heavy 
swell  rolling  in  from  the  trade-winds  blowing  outside.  The  landing-place 
is  within  an  admirably  constructed  mole.  It  was  here  that  Lord  Nelson 
made  his  attack  on  Santa  Cruz,  July  14th,  1794,  losing  an  arm  in  the  tight, 
but  winning  knighthood  for  his  gallantry  and  skill.  The  traveller,  on  land- 
ing, is  beset  by  two  contrary  emotions,  caused  by  the  exorbitant  demands 
of  the  boatmen  and  the  carters,  and  the  immense  and  rather  unwonted 
relief  at  finding  no  custom-house — no  officials  in  dirty  livery  to  turn  the 
contents  of  his  trunk  inside  out ;  that,  in  a  w'ord,  although  under  the 
Spanish  yellow-and-scarlet  flag,  Santa  Cruz  is  a  free  port. 


TENERIFFE. 


123 


In  1852  this  island,  with  those  adjoining,  obtained  permission  from 
tlie  Home  Government  to  aboHsh  all  duties  on  pjoods  entering  the  Cana- 
ries, provided  that  they  made  up  any  deticit  that  might  result  to  the  rev- 
enues of  the  crown  from  the  adoption  of  this  measure.  The  commerce 
of  the  islands  since  then  has  been  tolerably  prosperous,  and  the  importers 
have  thriven  on  free  trade;  but  lest  the  advocates  of  free  trade  should 
cite  this  as  a  proof  of  the  trnth  of  their  theories,  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that 
the  deticit  in  the  national  revenues  has  never  been  made  up,  and  already 
amounts  to  millions,  the  possible  collection  of  which  is  held  over  the  peo- 
ple as  a  rod  of  terror,  while  the  taxes  have  been  so  increased  in  proportion 
by  the  Home  Government  as  to  cause  much  grumbling  among  the  landed 
pro})rietors  and  peasantry. 

The  English  hotel,  I  found,  had  been  recently  closed  for  lack  of  pat- 
]-onage.  It  was  therefore  with  dread  that  I  turned  to  the  Spanish  foncla 
kept  by  Durvan,  adjoining  the  captain-general's;  but  I  was  agreeably 
disappointed  to  lind  a  comfortable  and  well-sustained  hotel.  Santa  Cruz 
is  not  the  only  place  of  that  name  in  the  Spanish  dominions.  There  are 
several  in  the  Canaries  alone,  including  two  on  the  island  of  Teneriffe ; 


)  tnagaPt 


TENERIFFE 


bnt  this  one  is  the  most  important  town  of  the  group,  numbering  some 
15,000  inhabitants.     Las  Palmas,  in  Gran  Canaria,  contains  a  larger  pop- 


124 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


Illation,  but  it  is  of  less  relative  consequence.  Santa  Cruz  de  Teneriffe 
is  regularly  laid  out  on  a  gradual  slope,  flanked  by  very  savage,  volcanic 
precipices  and  ravines,  which  are  not  so  near,  however,  as  to  justify  Hum- 
boldt's statement  that  it  lies  un- 
der a  perpendicular  wall  of  rock, 
unless  his  words  be  accepted  in 
a  figurative  sense. 

Lest  the  people  should  forget 
the  name  of  their  city,  a  massive 
marble  cross  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  Plaza  de  la  Constitucion,  near 
the  jetty.  The  houses  are  often 
of  only  one  story,  and  rarely  more 
I  than  two,  though  a  partial  third 
story  is  not  uncommon  in  the  form 
I  of  a  tower  surmounted  by  a  ter- 
f,  race.  The  roofs  are  flat,  and  offer 
"  a  pleasant  promenade  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening.  The  two-storied 
dwellings  are  in  the  form  of  a  hol- 
jii;  low  square,  in  Eastern  style.  One 
would  not  suspect  this  from  their 
appearance  on  the  street.  From 
the  outer  door,  which  is  always 
open  until  late  at  night,  one  passes  through  a  passage,  corresponding  in 
length  with  the  width  of  the  rooms,  to  the  imier  door,  which  gives  into 
the  patio,  or  court,  open  to  the  sky,  and  frequently  planted  with  bananas, 
orange-trees,  roses,  and  jessamines.  Around  the  patio  on  the  ground-floor 
are  store-rooms  and  oflices.  The  family  occupy  the  next  floor,  the  rooms 
opening  upon  verandas  overlooking  the  court.  A  cluster  of  small  bells  is 
attached  to  the  inner  door.  When  a  visitor  arrives,  he  pushes  it  open  ; 
the  bells  sound  the  alarm,  and  a  shrill  voice  answers  above,  "  Quien  ?" 
(Who  is  it?)     Should  there  be  no  bells,  the  visitor  claps  his  hands. 

As  in  Las  Palmas,  there  are  a  number  of  the  lower  class  who  live  in 
caves  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  The  Guanches,  or  aborigines,  were 
troglodytes.  At  Gran  Canaria  remains  of  stone  dwellings  still  exist ;  but 
the  Guanches  of  Tenerifl^e  seem  to  have  been  uniformly  troglodytes,  and 
the  custom  of  turning  the  nuraei'ous  air- vents,  or  caves,  of  this  volcanic 
soil  into  dwellings  has  not  yet  been  quite  abandoned.  Some  of  them 
have  been  improved  by  face-walls  and  other  "  modern  improvements,"  but 


SPANISH    SENOltlTA. 


TENERIFFE. 


125 


their  essential  diameter  as  cave-dwelliii^s  is  miclianged.  The  windows 
of  all  the  honses  in  Teneriffe  deserve  especial  mention.  A  massive  frame 
like  a  box  fits  into  the  aperture,  but,  unlike  an  ordinary  casement,  projects 
some  inches  from  the  wall.  The  blinds  are  heavily  panelled  with  square 
bevels,  and  in  the  lower  half  of  each  is  a  smaller  blind  swinging  out  from 
below.  This  is  called  the  postigo,  and  plays  a  most  important  part  in 
the  uneventful  lives  of  the  inhabitants,  especially  the  female  portion  of 
the  connnunity.  Is  any  unwonted  sound  heard  in  the  street,  up  go  the 
postigos.  Early  in  the  day,  women  with  frowzy  tresses  and  children  just 
out  of  bed,  scarcely  awake  and  entirelj'  unwashed,  lean  languidly  on  the 
sill  and  gaze  at  the  passer-by  behind  t\\Q  postigo.  Later  in  the  day  the 
dark -eyed  sefiorita,  her  toilet  completed,  shoots  dangerous  glances  from 
behind  this  convenient  ambush,  and  perliaps  drops  it  suddenly  just  as  one 
beo-ins  to  realize  the  charms  it  covly  reveals.  In  the  eveniuir  the  lover 
converses  with  her,  standing  under  the  half -raised  blind  of  the  magic 
postigo,  while  she,  seated  on  the  window-seat,  leans  her  round  arm  on 
the  sill,  and  listens  to  the  passionate  words  he  utters  in  low  tones,  and 
perhaps  with  her  fan  coquets  with  another  admirer  across  the  street. 

The  Plaza  de  Principe,  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  is  very  pretty,  en- 
closing a  fountain,  and  embowered  with  plane  and  pepper  trees.  It  is 
the  great  resort  on  fine  evenings,  and  few  others  ever  occur.  A  band  of 
music  plays  very  tolerably,  although  the  romantic  guitar  tinkling  in  the 
side  streets  is  more  in  consonance  with  the  lionr  and  the  clime.  One  is 
surprised  to  see  so  many  handsome 
ladies  in  so  small  a  place.  They  in- 
variably wear  that  most  graceful  of 
all  head -coverings,  the  mantilla,  ei 
ther  black  or  white,  and  of  lace  or 
silk.  The  ladies  of  Teneriffe,  having 
found  a  graceful  costume  for  the 
head,  are  sensible  enough  to  knoH 
when  they  are  well  off,  and  do  not 
change  it.  Not  until  half-past  eight 
does  the  band  begin  to  play.  It  con- 
tinues until  eleven,  when  the  "  se- 
renos"  take  up  the  cry  in  turn.  This 
is  the  humorous  sobriqnet  applied  to 
the  night-watchmen  or  police,  who  every  half-hour  sing  out,  often  very 
musically,  '■'■Ave  Mar^'ia purisima  P''  then  they  give  the  hour,  and  end  with 
^'^ Sereno''''  (all  serene).     Hence  the  epithet;  for  so  almost  invariable  is  the 


-fr-n 


THE    POSTIGO. 


126 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


weather,  it  very  rarely  occurs  tliat  it  is  necessary  for  the  watchnien  to 
alter  the  cry ;  and  sometimes  when  it  is  actually  storming  tliey  still,  from 
habit,  shout  '■'•  Sereno  !'''' 

But  to  linger  long  in  Santa  Cruz  when  the  valley  of  Orotava  is  yet 
unseen  and  unexplored  is  unpardonable.  An  excellent  carriao-e-road  con- 
nects the  two  places,  and  the  distance  is  about  twenty-five  miles.  Tlie 
island  itself  is  sixty  miles  long,  and  Orotava  is  on  the  northern  coast.  I 
therefore  started  one  line  morning  for  the  valley  Humboldt  considered 
the  most  sublime  and  beautiful  landscape  he  had  ever  seen.  We  began 
to  ascend  iuimediately  toward  the  ridge  at  whose  summit,  3000  feet  above 

the  sea,  lies  that  quaint  and 
sleepy  old  town,  Laguna,  of 
all  drowsy  places  one  of  the 
most  peaceful  and  somnolent. 
It  was  once  tlie  capital  of 
the  island.  Wealth  was  in 
its  borders.  Marquises  and 
counts  dwelt  there  in  consid- 
erable splendor.  The  ade- 
Imitado,  or  first  vicero}^,  also 
i-eigned  there,  and  his  palace, 
built  over  four  hundred  years 
ago,  still  remains.  But  now 
the  grass  grows  rank  in  the 
streets  of  Laguna ;  the  house- 
leek  is  abundant,  springing 
from  tlie  mossy  tiles  of  the 
dilapidated  roofs  and  the 
crevices  of  the  foi'saken  ja- 
Irntsies.  Statel}'  gate- ways  are 
walled  up,  and  "  the  spider  hath  woven  her  web  in  the  palaces  of  Afra- 
siab."  Yet,  owing  to  her  exceptional!}^  cool,  moist  climate,  Laguna  con- 
tinues a  resort  in  summer  for  those  who  desire  to  exchange  the  parched 
air  of  Santa  Cruz  for  a  more  bracing  atmosphere.  Even  in  summer  mists 
and  rain  are  not  uncommon  there,  with  abundant  breezes;  while  the  cliarm- 
ing  meadow-lands  and  intervales  surrounded  by  sharp  peaks  commanding 
wonderful  prospects  over  land  and  sea,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  little 
city  is  situated,  afford  a  limitless  variety  of  charming  rambles.  But,  then, 
your  true  Canary  Islander  is  not  much  of  a  rambler.  A  slight  infusion 
of  Anglo-Saxon  blood  is  essential  to  develop  the  rambling  propensity. 


MILK-VENDEKS. 


TENERIFFE.  127 

The  peasants  of  Lagniia  still  retain  one  of  tlie  ancient  costumes  of  the 
island.  White  drawers  cover  the  whole  leg;  over  these  breeches  of  blue 
cloth  come  down  nearly  to  the  knee,  bound  with  a  scarlet  cord,  but  so 
slashed  or  cut  away  over  the  hips  that  the  garment  really  consists  of  lit- 
tle more  than  flaps  in  front  and  behind,  resembling  cuisses  of  steel  armor. 
Formerly  every  village  had  its  own  costumes,  some  of  them  very  pictur- 
esque;  but,  exce])ting  in  the  more  remote  districts,  like  Chasna  and  Icod, 
they  are  gradually  passing  away.  In  sojne  of  the  other  islands  many  cu- 
rious garbs  are  still  in  common  use.  In  Teneriffe  the  country-women  in- 
variably wear  a  white  cloth  over  the  head  and  neck,  or  a  shawl  extend- 
ing down  the  back,  evidently  to  protect  the  spine  from  the  sun  ;  over  this 
a  straw  or  felt  hat  is  also  de  rigueur.  The  men  of  the  lower  classes  wear 
a  blanket  cloak,  that  swells  out  in  stiff  and  unwieldy  barrel-like  rotundity, 
and  is  absurd  enough  M'hen  the  mercury  is  at  eighty.  The  purchase  of 
one  of  these  cloaks  is  a  matter  of  gi-eat  importance,  as  certain  qualities 
enter  into  its  composition  without  which  it  is  simply  useless  to  offer  it 
for  sale  over  any  counter  in  Teneriffe.  It  must  be  white,  white  as  snow, 
although  immediately  after  purchasing  it  the  wearer  may  perhaps  fling  it 
into  the  dirt,  and  it  will  never  henceforward  be  other  than  a  ding}'  brown. 
It  must  have  a  blue  stripe,  with  a  narrower  one  of  the  same  color  on 
each  side  near  the  lower  edge ;  it  must  be  of  uniform  thickness — a  thin 
spot  would  ruin  it — and  the  nap  must  run  one  way,  and  that  downward, 
in  order  to  make  it  water-proof.  These  and  other  conditions  are  required 
by  the  Medo-Persian  inflexibility  of  public  opinion  among  the  peasantry 
of  Teneriffe. 

We  passed  many  women  carrying  on  their  heads  boxes  containing 
the  cochineal  bug,  which  they  had  bought  in  Santa  Cruz,  and  were  taking 
to  the  north  side  to  put  on  the  plant.  As  is  generally  known,  the  cochi- 
neal deposits  its  young  on  the  leaf  of  the  cactus.  The  mothers  are  laid 
in  thin  cambric  bags,  which  are  then  wrapped  around  the  plant  and  left 
on  until  the  bug  is  deposited  on  the  leaf.  After  reaching  maturity  the 
bugs  are  scraped  off,  and  dried  in  an  oven  or  in  tlie  air.  Much  of  the 
island  is  covered  with  cactus,  and  two  crops  of  cochineal  are  gathered 
in  many  places;  but  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  is  marred  by  the  un- 
sightly flelds  of  cactus  bound  with  M'hite  rags.  The  cochineal,  originally- 
introduced  from  Mexico  by  an  enterprising  priest  who  suffered  much  per- 
secution from  the  peasants  for  injni'ing,  as  they  supposed,  a  i)lant  whose 
prickly  pear  supplies  them  with  a  staple  food,  became  a  source  of  large 
])rofit  at  a  time  when  the  disease  of  the  vines  cut  off  the  wine  crop.  But  the 
discovery  of  aniline  colors  has  greatly  reduced  the  demand  for  cochineal, 


128 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


although  they  can  never  altogether  supersede  the  little  insect  from  which 
are  obtained  the  most  exquisite  red  dyes  knowii  in  modern  times.     The 


CAMELS    AND     COCHINEAL-CARklERS. 


deficiency  that  might  result  in  the  commerce  of  the  islands  is  at  present 
partially  made  up  by  an  increasing  production  of  onions  and  potatoes, 
which  ai-e  largely  exported  to  the  West  Indies.  The  climate  allows  three 
crops  of  potatoes  annually.  The  cultivation  of  the  vine  is  also  in  a  meas- 
ure reviving,  and  perhaps  3000  pipes  of  various  sorts  were  made  at  the 
last  vintage.  The  annual  yield  was  formerly  over  30,000  pipes.  The  best 
canary  is,  like  most  wines  of  warm  climates,  strong.  It  has  a  rich  golden 
hue  and  a  fine  fruity  flavor,  although  inferior  to  old  port  or  madeira. 

The  fig  grows  in  Teneriffe  abundantly,  producing  several  excellent 
varieties.  During  the  season  the  trees  are  frequented  by  the  capirote, 
which  nestles  in  the  dense  shade,  and  feeding  on  the  fi-uit,  gains  inspira- 
tion for  the  exquisite  strains  which  the  livelong  day  add  the  charm  of 
melody  to  the  loveliness  that  meets  the  eye  at  every  turn.  The  notes  of 
the  capirote  rival  those  of  the  mocking-bird  and  the  nightingale  in  variety 
and  richness,  and  it  can  be  easily  tamed  and  taught  to  imitate  the  notes 
of  other  birds ;  but  this  modest,  pearl-tinted  little  songster  is  so  sensitive 
that  all  attempts  to  acclimate  it  in  other  countries  have  failed. 


TENERIFFE, 


129 


After  leaviiicr  Lagniia  we  saw  many  palms,  sometimes  in  clusters;  but, 
except  at  Santa  Cruz,  they  do  not  produce  dates  lit  to  eat.  They  give  an 
Oriental  as})ect  to  the  landscaj^e,  which  is  heightened  by  the  (tamels  that 
one  en(;ounters  on  the  road.  I>ut  camels  are  less  employed  in  the  island 
than  formerly,  and,  like  those  of  Lancerote,  are  scarcely  tame.  It  is  not 
nn(;onimon  for  them  to  charge  furiously  upon  men,  not  even  respecting 
their  masters.  I  have  heard  that  people  have  been  killed  in  the  Canai-ies 
by  camels.  This  certaiidy  belies  the  reputation  for  meekness  that  they 
have  earned  in  Eastern  lands. 

Our  road  beyond  Laguna  lay  by  the  sea,  or  rather  at  a  height  of  2000 
or  3000  feet  above  it,  sometimes  on  the  bi'ow  of  a  slo))e  ap[)roaching  a 
precipice,  or  again  separated  from  the  deep-blue  ocean  below  by  a  valley 
studded  with  hamlets.  At  noon  we  stopped  at  the  village  of  Matanzas 
to  lunch  and  bait  the  horses.  Matanza  means  "slaughter"  in  Spanish, 
and  the  name  was  given  to  the  place  in  memory  of  the  severest  drubbing 
the  Spaniards  ever  received,  in  proportion  to  the  numbers  engaged  on  each 
side.  Jean  de  Betancourt,  a  Norman  lord,  having  heard  of  the  distant 
Canary  Islands,  and  moved  by  the  roving  impulse  inherited  from  his  an- 
cestors, s,et  out  to  visit  and  perhaps  conquer  them.  Finding  no  French- 
men ready  to  accompany 

him,  he    went    to    Spain,  -=^„ 

where  he  was  joined  by 
a  cousin,  who  induced 
some  Spanish  adventur- 
ers to  embark  on  the  gal- 
leys of  Betancoui't.  The 
history  of  the  subsequent 
conquest  by  Betancourt 
and  his  successors,  and  of 
the  singular  peo})le  they 
found  and  subdued  in 
those  islands,  is  full  of  ro- 
mance and  interest.  Lan- 
cerote was  the  first  island 
seized.  Grand  Canary 
was  subjugated  only  af- 
ter seventy  -  seven  years 
of  heroic  defense  on  the  part  of  a  people  who  M'ere  not  destitute  of  some 
civilization,  who  displayed  many  nuignanimous  traits  of  character,  and 
who  yielded  at  last  only  when  their  king  had  been  seized  by  treachery, 

9 


GIlOUl'    UV    CHIZAS,   OK     HUTS,    NKAlt     LAtaiNA. 


130 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


and  when  tlieir  numbers  were  reduced  to  five  hundred.  Teneriffe  was 
not  even  visited  until  after  all  the  other  islands  of  the  group  had  come 
under  the  Spanish  yoke.  There  are  grounds  for  believing  that  the  Fortu- 
nate Isles,  with  the  exception  of  Teneriffe,  were 
colonized  by  exiles  of  war,  expelled  from  Bar- 
barj^  in  Roman  times.  Aside  from  traditions 
to  this  effect,  there  are  many  dialectic  analogies 
between  their  language  and  that  of  the  Berbers, 
as  well  as  resemblances  in  customs.  But  the 
natives  of  Teneriff6  differed  so  much  in  lan- 
ii'uao-e  and  customs  from  those  of  the  other  isl- 
ands  as  to  throw  great  doubt  on  their  origin. 
The  colonizing  of  Teneriffe  by  such  exiles  may, 
however,  have  been  secondary  to  a  previous  oc- 
cupation. In  those  primitive  days  communica- 
tion between  the  islands  was  rare,  and  it  is  even 
asserted  that  boats  wei'e  unknown  there. 

Some  stones  have  recently  been  discovered 
in  Hierro  and  Las  Palmas  bearing  S(;ulptured 
symbols  similar  to  those  found  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Superior.  This  lias  led  M.  Bertholet, 
the  enthusiastic  historiographer  of  the  islands, 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  first  inhabitants  of 
the  Canaries  and  those  of  the  great  West  were  one  in  race.  Although  he 
has  arrived  at  this  result  rather  hastily,  as  it  would  seem,  when  one  con- 
siders the  universality  of  some  of  the  ancient  symbols,  there  is  apparently 
some  reason  to  urge  further  investigations  of  the  subject. 

Only  to  the  tribes  of  Teneriffe  does  the  term  Guanche  apply,  although 
often  given  to  those  of  the  other  islands.  The  island  was  divided  among 
nine  chiefs  or  kings,  and  there  was  a  complete  organization  or  feudal 
system,  composed  of  a  wealthy  class,  and  of  serfs  who  took  charge  of  the 
flocks,  which  formed  the  riches  of  the  island.  The  code  of  laws,  though 
unwritten,  was  well  defined  and  strictly  administered.  One  of  tlie  upper 
class  who  so  far  lowered  liimself  as  to  milk  a  goat  was  degraded  to  vas- 
salage ;  but  capital  punishment  was  not  allowed.  Wars  were  common, 
chiefly  regarding  boundaries.  The  weapons  were  elaborately  carved,  and 
the  arrow  and  spear  heads  were  made  of  obsidian.  The  food  of  all 
classes  was  generally  gofio^  a  palatable  mixture  composed  of  wheat,  corn, 
or  barley,  roasted  like  coffee.  It  is  afterward  ground  in  hand-mills, 
and  the  flour,  mixed  with  water  or  milk,  is  then  thorouglily  kneaded  in 


TENEHIFFE     COSTUME. 


TENERIFFE. 


131 


a  goat-sldii.  This  dish  is  still  almost  universal  among  the  peasantry  of 
Teneriffe.  The  Guanches  drank  no  cold  water  for  half  an  hour  after 
eating,  to  avoid  injuring  the  teeth.  After  death  the  Guanche  was  em- 
balmed and  sewed  up  in  a  tanned  goat -skin,  and  deposited  in  one  of 
the  numerous  caves  with  which  the  island  abounds.  Four  or  five  mum- 
mies, one  of  thera  a  princess,  another  the  remains  of  a  rjuarnateme^ 
or  chief,  of  Teyde,  in  Gran  Canaria,  are  preserved,  with  a  few  other 
Guanche  relics,  spears,  hand-mills,  leather  pitchers,  and  the  like,  in  a 
small  private  museum  which  I  visited  at  Tacaronte.  But  the  mum- 
mies have  otherwise  been  wantonly  destroyed  wherever  found  by  the 
peasantrj^,  who  regard  them  with  superstitious  dread.  Some  were  dis- 
covered in  a  cave  at  Santa  Lucia  while  I  was  at  Teneriffe,  and  were  im- 
mediately broken  up.  There  are  mummies  still  known  by  tradition  to 
exist  in  caves  on  the  edges  of  precipices,  especially  at  Guimar,  and  inac- 
cessible unless  one  chooses  to  be  lowered  a  thousand  feet  by  a  rope.  The 
bodies  were  thus  let  down  and  deposited  on  ledges  in  the  cave  mouth, 
where  they  probably  remain  to  this 
day. 

In  146-1,  the  Spaniards,  under 
Diego  de  Ilerrera,  lord  of  Lance- 
rote,  made  a  landing  at  Teneriffe. 
They  were  peaceably  received,  and 
were  permitted  to  remain  and  con- 
struct a  fort.  But  the  Spaniards 
having  been  guilty  of  a  gross  breach 
of  faith,  the  honest  Guanches  were 
so  irritated  that  they  arose  and 
swept  fort  and  garrison  out  of  ex- 
istence. Naturally  infuriated  at  the 
conduct  of  barbarians  so  simple  as 
to  be  exasperated  by  mere  perfidy, 
Alonzo  de  Lugo  landed  one  thou- 
sand men,  in  1493,  and,  as  the  na- 
tives were  taken  by  surprise,  was 
able  to  scour  the  land  as  far  as  Oro- 
tava.     But  the  chief  of  that  valley 

sent  forward  three  hmidred  men  under  his  brother  to  waylay  the  Span- 
iards on  their  return,  while  he  bestirred  himself  to  rouse  the  rest  of  the 
island.  At  Matanzas,  previously  alluded  to,  the  invaders  were  attacked, 
and,  although  armed  with  mail  and  arquebuses,  they  were  put  to  route,  los- 


GOAN'CHE    MUMMIES     AT     TACARONTE. 


132  THK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

ing  not  less  than  six  hundred  men  in  the  battle,  or  rather  slaughter.  On 
reaching  the  coast,  Alonzo  de  Lugo  was  again  attacked,  and  lost  one-fourth 
of  his  remaining  force:  he  thought  himself  happ}^  to  be  able  to  re-em- 
bark with  oidy  three  hundred  out  of  the  thousand  men  with  which  he  had 
landed  a  few  days  previously.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  Alonzo  de  Lugo 
reappeared  at  Teneriffe  with  a  still  larger  force;  and  now  the  Guanches 
displayed  a  counnon  sense  rare  in  history.  The  leading  chief  of  the  island 
reasoned  that,  although  he  might  be  able  to  cope  with  tlie  army  just  landed, 
it  must  be  of  little  ultimate  use;  for  an  enemy  who,  after  such  a  disastrous 
defeat,  could  so  soon  put  a  larger  army  into  the  field,  must  by  sheer  weight 
of  numbers  gradually  wear  out  the  limited  population  of  Teneriife.  The 
wisest  plan,  tlierefore,  seemed  to  be  to  submit  while  it  was  still  in  their 
power  to  impose  ceitain  conditions,  of  coui'se  accepting  Christianity,  with- 
out doing  which  they  would  all  have  been  roasted.  By  the  influence  of 
this  king  all  the  island  was  brought  to  submit  to  the  Spaniards.  Alonzo 
de  Lugo  became  adeIautado,\en,y'mg  a  large  posterity  to  transmit  his  name, 
and  the  Guanches,  instead  of  being  exterminated,  were  absorbed  into  the 
Spanish  race.  But  the  peasant  of  the  western  part  of  the  island  still  shows 
the  lineaments  of  a  race  that  peopled  tliesc  islands  before  the  Goth  had 
issued  from  the  North,  or  the  Saracen  from  the  South,  to  form,  in  Iberia, 
the  present  race  of  Spain.  Until  quite  recently,  Guanches  of  purely  ab- 
original blood  were  still  to  be  found  at  Chasna. 

While  we  have  been  glancing  briefly  at  the  history  of  the  conquest, 
the  bony  horses,  three  abreast,  and  well-nigh  devoured  by  the  flies,  which, 
it  must  be  confessed,  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  amount  to  a  plague  in 
Teneriffe,  have  carried  us  past  Sausal,  where  the  peak  should  burst  on  the 
sight,  revealing  its  proportions  as  from  no  other  part  of  the  island.  But 
the  peak  was  concealed  in  dense  layers  of  the  trade-wind  cloud,  and  con- 
tinued so  for  ten  days  after  my  arrival.  This  sublime  prospect  was  there- 
fore reserved  for  my  return,  as  the  final  picture  in  a  succession  of  mag- 
nificent scenes,  which  were  revealed  one  by  one,  during  ray  sojourn  at 
Orotava.  Could  I  have  arranged  everything  with  the  purpose  of  pro- 
ducing the  most  effective  impression,  it  could  not  have  been  better  de- 
vised. Five  hours  brought  us  to  the  valley  of  Orotava,  although  another 
hour  or  two  was  required  to  complete  the  journey  to  the  fonda  at  the 
puerto^  which  could  be  reached  only  on  donkey  or  horse  back. 

Situated  300  feet  above  the  sea,  Mrs.  Turnbull's  comfortable  little 
boarding-house  was  perhaps  too  inconveniently  located  for  transient  vis- 
itors ;  but  for  those  who,  either  for  pleasure  or  health,  desire  to  spend 
delicious  days  of  poetic  indolence  gazing  on  the   noble   prospect  —  the 


TKNERIFFE. 


133 


mountains  and  the  valley,  and  tlie  sea  that  lashes  the  volcanic  beach  from 
age  to  age — a  more  admirable  situation  could  scarcely  have  been  selected. 
As  regards  climate,  the  temperature  at  that  height  cannot  be  surpassed 
on  this  imperfect  planet  of  ours.  The  trade-winds,  which  are  hardly  felt 
at  the  sea-level,  there  impart  a  reviving  coolness  to  the  air  of  midsummer. 
Fifty-eight  degrees  Fahrenheit  is  the  lowest  the  mercury  falls  in  winter. 
From  sixty-eight  to  seventy-two  degrees  is  the  average  height  it  reaches 
in  summer.  In  the  puerto  below,  the  glass  descends  to  sixty-four  in  the 
house  in  winter,  and  never  rises  above  eighty.     Add  to  this  that  the  cli- 


ent   OJ    SAN    JUAN    OKOIAVA. 


mate  is  dry — more  so  than  that  of  the  Bahamas  or  Madeira,  both  cele- 
brated resorts  for  invalids — and  the  winds  moderate.  Santa  Cruz  is  gen- 
erally too  warm,  although  the  heat  is  not  so  much  excessive  as  steady ; 
while  Lagmia,  to  which  residents  of  the  island  resort  in  summer  for  a 
more  bracing  air,  is  perhaps  too  damp  and  windy  for  invalids  who  come 
from  abroad.  But  Orotava  seems  to  combine  all  that  is  desirable  from  a 
sanitary  point  of  view  for  those  who  are  afflicted  with  pulmonary  com- 
plaints, rheumatism,  or  neuralgia  in  its  protean  forms ;  also,  perhaps,  for 
those  wasting  away  with  that  teri'ible  malady,  Bright's  disease,  if  they  can 
endure  the  voyage. 


134 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


The  valley  of  Orotava  is  more  properly  a  slope  tlian  a  valley.  From 
the  crater  of  the  Canadas  a  central  ridge,  called  the  CuTnbre,  runs  to  La- 

— I  gnna,  where  it  is  continued  by  a 
i-idge  of  another  formation  run- 
ning to  Anaga  Point.  From  this 
ridge,  where  it  meets  the  Caiia- 
das,  a  magnificent  bastion,  called 
Mount  Tigayga,  stretches  for  sev- 
eral miles,  like  a  stupendous  wall, 
on  one  side  of  the  slope,  throwing 
out  into  the  valley  buttresses  of 
astonishing  grandeur,  often  near- 
ly vertical  for  thousands  of  feet. 
On  the  eastern  side  another  moun- 
tain, nearly  as  sublime,  bounds 
the  sloj^e.  Between  these  two 
lateral  mountains  the  celebrated 
valley  of  Orotava  rises  by  a  very 
gradual  but  unbroken  ascent  from 
the  coast  until  it  reaches  the  cen- 
tral ridge,  some  7000  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  shore  sometimes 
terminates  in  abrupt  precipices 
of  lava  and  basalt,  or  in  a  rocky  beach  of  slag,  whitened  for  evermore 
by  the  surges  of  the  hoarse  Atlantic.  Three  miles  from  the  coast  lies 
Orotava,  an  ancient-looking  town  of  perhaps  6000  inhabitants.  Here  are 
houses  quaint  with  dilapidation  and  a  certain  musty  air  of  decayed  splen- 
dor. It  is  still  the  residence  of  several  Spanish  families  of  title — counts, 
marquises,  and  dons  of  high  and  low  degree.  A  church  of  some  architect- 
ural merit,  but  incomplete,  occupies  a  prominent  position;  and  some  of 
the  gardens  of  the  place  are  stocked  with  exotics. 

I  observed  here  a  very  pretty  custom,  common  in  other  towns  of  the 
island,  but  seen  in  its  perfection  at  Orotava.  On  the  fete-days  of  the 
Church  the  streets  through  which  the  procession  passes  are  strewn  with 
carpets  of  flowers.  This  is  done  by  gathering  the  petals  of  various  brill- 
iant flowers  into  separate  baskets.  A  mould  is  laid  on  the  pavement  rep- 
resenting the  pattern.  In  one  compartment  rose  petals  are  dropped,  in 
another  marigold,  in  another  violet,  and  so  on.  All  tlie  divisions  having 
been  filled  w^ith  petals  an  inch  deep,  the  mould  is  carefully  removed,  and 
a  most  beautiful  painting  a})pears,  magnificent  as  the  richest  of  stained- 


DRAGON-XREE    AS    IT     WAS. 


TENERIFFE. 


135 


glass  windows.  Before  private  houses  the  ladies  sometimes  assist  in  this 
pious  and  poetic  art,  which,  as  may  be  easily  understood,  would  be  im- 
possible in  a  land  where  Howers  are  scarce  or  where  the  winds  are  rude. 

In  the  garden  of  the  Marquis  of  Sausal  stood  what  was  considered  on 
the  highest  authority  to  be  the  oldest  known  tree  in  the  world,  tlie  famous 
dragon-tree  of  Orotava.  Five  thousand  years  was  the  least  age  that  could 
be  assigned  to  it.  It  was  over  eighty  feet  high,  and  of  enormous  circum- 
ference, but  had  been  reduced  to  a  mere  shell,  although  still  green  at  the 
top,  and  with  a  possibility  of  centuries  yet  before  it.  The  marquis  paid 
no  heed  to  its  decrepit  condition,  and  the  venerable  patriai'ch  was  left 
without  support.  Eight 
years  ago  a  hurricane 
swept  the  island,  and  in 
that  wild  night,  while 
the  thunders  raged,while 
the  winds  screamed  over 
houses  unroofed,  while 
ships  foundered  with  all 
on  board,  the  old  dragon- 
tree  that  had  survived 
the  fall  of  empires,  and 
the  earthquake  -  shocks 
and  fiery  torrents  of 
volcanoes,  at  last  went 
down.  What  relic-hunt- 
ers and  fuel -seekers — 
with  shame,  be  it  said — • 
have  left  of  this  patri- 
arch now  lies  a  mere 
heap  of  red  bark,  and 
nothing  more.  The  drag- 
on-tree, so  called  from 
its  red  sap,  formerly 
used  as  a  dye,  is  com- 
mon in  the  Canary  Isl- 
ands, and  many  very  fine 
specimens  of  it  are  to 
be  seen  there. 

Below  the  town  is  the  celebrated  botanic  garden  of  Teneriffe,  which 
would  be  more  properly  termed  a  garden  of  acclimation.      Great  hopes 


BOTANIC     GARDENS,    OROTAVA. 


186  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

of  its  usefulness  were  entertained  at  its  inception ;  but  a  larger  experience, 
and  the  extensive  greenhouses  put  up  more  recently  in  northern  climes, 
have  to  a  degree  neutralized  its  value,  although  it  is  still  well  tended  by 
the  intelligent  superintendent,  Mr.  Wilpert.  The  Puerto  de  Orotava  is  a 
sleepy  little  place  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  villa,  or  upper  town,  but, 
on  the  whole,  more  cheerful,  and  with  a  certain  amusing  assumption  of 
thrift,  not  to  say  bustle,  about  it  during  the  onion  and  potato  season,  when 
the  diminutive  mole  is  piled  with  the  odoriferous  bulbs,  and  the  lighters 
row  out  through  the  narrow  passage  among  the  rocks,  and  ride  over  the 
heavy  swell,  upon  which  the  ships  pitch  and  roll  in  a  most  uneasy  man- 
ner, mooi'ed  by  the  stern  as  well  as  the  bow,  and  with  the  breakers  often 
just  under  the  quarter.  The  regularity  of  the  winds  makes  accidents  rare, 
but  I  should,  notwithstanding,  wish  a  ship  well  insui'ed  if  1  were  to  send 
her  to  Oj-otava  for  a  cargo  of  onions.  The  number  of  ci'osses  at  the  poi-t, 
in  shrines,  on  the  house-walls,  or  over  the  gates,  is  remarkable. 

Three  miles  to  the  westward  of  the  port  is  the  Val  Taoro,  a  regular 
depression  of  the  slope,  but  with  a  steeper  incline.  Ilei-e  is  the  straggling 
village  of  Kealejo,  very  striking  and  picturesque.  The  women  of  this 
place  are  more  fair  and  plump  than  most  of  the  counti-ywomen  of  Tene- 
riffe,  because,  some  say,  of  the  wonderful  air  of  the  locality,  and  others 
because  of  their  Norman  descent.  In  the  small  church  attached  to  the  con- 
vent of  San  Francisco  there  is  a  carved  cedar  roof,  exquisitely  beautiful. 

The  flora  of  Teneriife  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  rich  ;  this,  however, 
must  be  taken  as  implying  variety  in  its  botanic  specimens  rather  than 
such  a  general  luxuriance  of  verdure  as  is  found  in  Madeira  or  Jamaica. 
The  chestnut  forests  which  once  covered  the  valley  have  been  largely  cut 
down  to  make  room  for  the  culture  of  the  cochineal ;  and  the  vestiges  of 
volcanic  action  abounding  on  all  sides  in  the  form  of  streams  of  lava  or 
slag,  in  dark-brown  cliffs  and  mounds,  and  numerous  walls  and  huge  piles 
of  lava  stones,  of  which  the  fields  have  to  be  cleared  before  they  can  be 
(tultivated,  together  with  long  stretches  of  unsightly  cactus  or  poisonous 
euphorbia,  sometimes  give  the  landscape  an  air  of  desolatit)n.  But  these 
features  are  soon  forgotten  in  the  grander  objects  which  Oi'otava  presents. 
To  appreciate  the  valley  of  Orotava,  one  must  give  to  it  weeks  and  months 
of  passive,  reverent  observation  and  reflection.  It  is  not  in  the  minute 
details,  but  in  its  general  effect,  that  it  should  be  regarded,  like  a  painting 
executed  broadly,  and  leaving  the  imaginative  mind  to  supply  the  details. 
So  viewed,  the  majestic  sUipe  of  Orotava,  encircled  by  the  mountains  and 
the  sea,  wearing  on  its  bosom  its  cluster  of  beautiful  towns,  and  robing 
itself  in  the  vegetation  of  all  climes,  offers  one  of  the  most  remarkable 


TENERIFFE. 


137 


landscapes  on  the  globe,  if  not  indeed  the  most  remarkable.  "Whether 
seen  from  Icod  Alto,  on  the  brow  of  Tigayga,  or  from  the  opposite  side, 
or  from  the  beach,  or  from  the  town,  it  everywhere  overwhelms  one  more 
and  more  with  its  matchless  magnificence  and  sublimity.  The  last  time 
I  saw  it  from  the  shore  was  at  sunset.  Not  a  cloud  obscured  the  vast 
amphitheatre  before  me.     The  upper  heights  were  bathed  in  purple.     Be- 


VIEW     OF    THE    PEAK     FROM     OROTAVA. 


yond  Tigayga,  far  up  in  the  blue,  the  white  cone  of  the  peak  towered  in 
regal  solitude,  a  wreath  of  golden  clouds  above  its  head,  and  seemingly 
ablaze  in  the  ruddy  glow  of  the  sun  dropping  below  the  ocean's  verge. 
Purple  shadows  crept  over  the  lower  part  of  the  slope  until  they  grad- 
ually mantled  the  ridges  of  Tigayga  and  the  Canadas.  But  long  after, 
like  a  star  in  the  firtnament,  the  extreme  summit  of  the  Piton  gleamed 
alone  in  the  heavens. 


13S 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


From  Orotava  I  made  a  trip  to  Icocl,  distant  twenty  miles  to  the  west- 
ward. The  road  was  remarkable  onl}'  for  its  rugged,  not  to  say  danger- 
ous, character.     We  scaled  the  lower  heights  of  Tigayga,  and,  passing  the 

village  of  Gnanche,  reached  Icod  to- 
ward evening.  The  volcanic  desola- 
tions through  which  we  had  picked 
our  way  moderated  somewhat  as  we 
approached  the  little  place,  and  it  was 
almost  with  surprise  I  found  myself 
in  a  well-built,  picturesque  town  with 
considerable  pretensions  to  beaut}'. 
The  situation  is  certainly  very  fine. 
The  view  of  the  peak  is  the  chief 
object  of  interest  at  Icod,  and  one 
who  has  never  ascended  it  can  ob- 
tain a  better  idea  of  the  cone  from 
Icod  than  from  the  valley  of  Oro- 
tava. There  is  in  the  garden  adjoin- 
ing the/o7ida,  at  Icod,  the  oldest  and 
nol)lest  dragon-tree  now  known  to 
exist.  It  is  in  excellent  condition, 
and  can  hardly  be  less  than  3000 
years  old.  Another  object  of  inter- 
est is  the  cave  of  the  Gnanches,  close 
to  the  town.  A  formidable  supply  of  pitch-pine  fagots  having  been  pre- 
pared, I  followed  the  guide  through  a  crevice  so  low  that  one  must  enter 
it  on  his  knees.  The  cave  is  long,  narrow,  and  winding,  generally  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  high,  but  sometimes  so  low  that  we  were  forced  to  crawl. 
It  is  also  so  regular  in  its  width  as  to  seem  like  an  artificial  subterranean 
passage.  After  walking  a  third  of  a  mile  in  darkness,  a  gleam  of  light 
was  seen  at  last,  and  we  reached  the  other  end  of  the  cave.  Here  it 
widened  to  a  moderate-sized  hall,  and  remains  of  mummies  were  to  be 
seen  on  the  ground  and  in  crevices  in  the  wall.  Although  there  were 
some  dusky  rays  of  light  here,  there  was  no  exit ;  only  a  low  aperture 
where  the  light  came  from,  which  I  was  able  to  reach  by  creeping  face  to 
the  ground.  I  put  my  head  out  and  found  myself  directly  over  a  lofty 
precipice,  at  the  foot  of  which  the  ocean  dashed  with  unceasing  roar. 
Burial-place  more  impressive  could  hardly  be  imagined. 

Three  miles  beyond  Icod  is  Guarachico,  which  once  own-ed  the  finest 
harbor  in  the  Canaries,  and  was  a  city  of  commercial  importance.     But 


-^^ 


PJiASANT     SFlNMNO. 


TENERIFFE. 


130 


two  centuries  ago  the  town  was  overwhelmed  by  volcanic  eruptions  and 
the  port  tilled  up  with  a  torrent  of  lava.  A  little  fishing  village  now 
stands  where  the  former  port  was.  Guanche  was  written  on  the  face  of 
most  of  the  peasants  1  saw  in  that  district.  On  Corpus  Christi  Day  they 
were  all  out,  and  I  had  a  good  opportunity  of  observing  them.  It  may 
be  added  that  t\\Q  fonda  at  Icod  is  very  coniforta])le,  and  visitors  are  not 
badly  entertained.  The  return  by  a  lower  road  along  the  coast,  through 
the  villages  of  Santa  Caterina,  La  Itambla,  and  San  Juan  de  la  Rambla, 
was  very  pleasing.  The  road,  although  very  rough  and  stony,  offers  many 
.striking  views  and  objects  of  interest. 

Before  leaving  Orotava  I  ascended  the  peak  of  Teyde.  It  was  toward 
the  last  of  May,  but  still  somewhat  earlier  than  it  is  usnally  attempted, 
and  mine  was,  therefore,  the  first  ascent  of  the  season.  The  number  who 
go  up  the  peak  during  the  year  is  always  very  limited,  perhaps  a  dozen, 
and  generally  they  are  travellers  from  abroad,  who  come  there  expressly 
for  that  purpose.  The  difficulty  of  the  undei-taking  and  lack  of  enter- 
prise deter  most  of  the  residents  'from  trying  it.  Tiie  muleteer  and 
guide  were  my  only  companions.  We 
started  at  five  in  the  morning.  My 
mule,  when  I  mounted  him,  acted  in 
a  manner  that  aroused  gra\e  suspi- 
cions as  to  his  character,  and  his  snb- 
seqnent  conduct  during  this  and  the 
following  day  confirmed  my  suspi- 
cions. The  sumpter-mule  generally 
comported  himself  with  propriety. 
Not  only  the  mules,  but  also  the 
horses  of  Teneriffe,  bear  a  very  bad 
reputation.  We  passed  through  Re- 
alejo  up  the  Val  Taora,  and  for  sev- 
eral thousand  feet  the  ascent  was 
moderate,  althongh  the  road  soon  de- 
generated into  a  rough  bridle-path. 
At  a  height  of  3000  feet  we  entered 
the  stratum  of  trade -wind  cloud, 
which  continued  to  conceal  all  ob- 
jects from  view  except  those  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  and  at  the  same  time  tempered  the  heat  of  the  sun. 
This  continued  up  to  nearly  6000  feet  above  the  sea,  when  we  suddenly 
emerged  and  saw  the  vast  sheet  of  cloud  spread  like  a  snowy  table-land 


A    PEASANT- WOMAN     OF     ICOI>. 


140  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

between  the  island  and  the  offing.  The  entire  absence  of  running  streams, 
and  the  perfect  stilhiess  of  the  air — undisturbed  by  the  music  of  wood- 
land water-falls  or  any  other  appreciable  sound,  except  now  and  then  the 
voices  of  peasants  descending  the  mountain  under  their  loads  of  brush- 
wood— became  very  noticeable  soon  after  we  left  Realejo. 

Five  thousand  feet  up,  we  left  behind  all  traces  of  vegetation  except 
grass  and  ferns.  The  ferns  kept  us  company  until  we  reached  the  stratum 
of  heather,  as  it  may  l)e  called.  After  a  while  the  heather  became  scarce, 
and  the  retama  began  to  aj^peai-,  until,  at  a  height  of  7000  feet,  nothing 
gi'een  was  to  be  seen  but  tufts  of  retama.  The  retama  is  a  species  of 
broom  peculiar  to  the  Canary  Islands  ;  that  of  Teneriffe  is,  again,  a  dis- 
tinct kind,  found  nowhere  else,  and  never  there  below  6000  feet  above  the 
sea.  It  reminds  one  alternately  of  the  yew  and  the  cedar,  reaching  a  very 
good  size  sometimes,  although  diminishing  in  growth  as  one  ascends  the 
mountain.     In  summer  it  is  covered  with  clusters  of  white  flowers. 

The  approach  to  the  Canadas  grew  more  and  more  rugged  and  sterile. 
Pumice-stone,  volcanic  rocks,  and  lava  towers  became  more  frequent,  until 
we  finally  scaled  the  slope  which  seemed  to  keep  us  still  within  sight  aud 
sound  and  reach  of  life,  and  entered  the  vast  crater  called  the  Canadas, 
on  the  eastern  side,  where  its  sides  are  most  broken.  The  formation  of 
the  peak  uow  for  the  first  time  became  clear  and  intelligible  to  me.  We 
found  oui'selves  on  the  floor  of  a  crater  ten  miles  in  diameter,  thirty  miles 
in  circumference,  circular,  but  slightly  elliptical,  in  shape.  This  floor  is 
covered  with  yellow  pumice-stone,  generally  level,  with  here  and  there  a 
moderate  depression,  and  resembling  in  barremiess,  atmospheric  dryness, 
and  concentration  of  heat  a  section  of  the  Desert  of  Sahara.  Around  it 
rise  the  sides  of  the  crater,  sufficiently  bold  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  sur- 
rounding wall,  sometimes  springing  aloft  in  splintered  perpendicular  peaks 
2000  feet  high;  the  loftiest  of  them  is  named  Guajara.  The  soft  purple 
hues  of  these  crater  walls  and  battlements,  contrasted  with  the  sea  of  glar- 
ing pumice-stone,  was  very  beautiful.  Near  the  centre  of  the  Canadas  the 
gi-eat  cone  swells  abi'uptly  with  a  dome-like  outline,  suggesting  in  its  pro- 
portions the  peculiar  curve  of  the  cupola  of  St.  Sophia,  although  certainly 
more  steep  as  seen  from  some  points.  The  great  dome  is  supported  on 
the  east  side  by  the  Montana  Blanca,  a  huge  mound  covered  with  pumice- 
stone,  rising  like  a  buttress  from  the  Canadas.  Yast  cataracts  of  brown 
and  black  lava,  solidified  into  permanent  forms,  corrugate  the  sides  of  the 
peak.  The  peak  or  dome  rises  over  4000  feet  above  the  Canadas,  and 
terminates  in  another  ci'ater,  called  the  Rambleta.  Out  of  the  Kambleta 
rises  the  little  peak  of  Teyde,  or  the  Piton,  COO  feet  higher,  conical,  and  at 


TENERIFFE. 


141 


an  ano-le  excessively  steep,  terminating  in  a  point  and  a  third  diminutive 
crater,  above  whicli  we  discerned  very  distinctly,  against  the  blue  sky, 
thin  columns  of  white  vapor  shooting  up  with  an  uncertain  motion,  like 
tongues  of  white  flame  from  a  smouldering  tire. 

Such  was  the  scene  before  us  as  we  entered  the  Canadas,  majestic, 
solitary,  desolate,  beyond  the  power  of  language  to  describe.  It  seemed 
best,  before  going  farther,  to  fortify  ourselves  for  the  additional  labors  of 
the  day  with  a  substantial  lunch;  and  in  the  absence  of  other  shade  we 
took  shelter  in  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  great  rocks  which  strew  the  Cana- 
das—a  mystery  to  scientific  experts,  although  nothing  seemed  plainer  to 


PEAK    OP    TENEKIFFE,    AS    SEEN    ON     APPROACHING     THE     LARGE    CliATER. 

me  than  that  they  nnist  have  rolled  down  from  the  lava  torrents  on  the 
slppe  of  the  peak. 

A  long  and  hot,  but  not  tedious,  ride  over  the  Cafiadas  and  the  Mon- 
tana Blanca  at  length  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  the  peak,  and  to  a  seri- 
ous consideration  of  the  task  yet  to  be  accomplished.  Rugged  Plutonian 
ridges  of  black  lava,  warmed  here  and  there  by  brown  slag  or  gleaming 
in  the  sun  like  glass,  where  a  mass,  breaking  off,  had  left  a  smooth  surface, 
rose  above  us  like  some  Titanic  fortress.  A  very  severe  climb  brought 
us  to  the  Estancia  de  los  Ingleses,  over  10,000  feet  above  the  sea.  Here 
are  some  rocks  so  clustered  as  to  afford  a  shelter,  so  that  it  is  generally 
the  spot  where  travellers  halt  for  the  night.     It  has  been  called  after 


142  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

the  English,  because  thev  furnish  the  lai-gest  number  of  visitors  to  the 
peak. 

As  daylight  was  vet  abundant,  I  concluded  to  abridge  the  labors  of 
the  morrow  by  ascending  a  thousand  feet  higher  and  spending  the  night 
at  Alta  Yista,  a  plateau  two  or  three  acres  in  extent,  occupied  by  Profes- 
sor Piazzi  Smyth  when  engaged  in  taking  astronomical  observations  at 
Teneriffe,  in  1856.  He  spent  several  weeks  on  Guajara,  and  then  removed 
to  Alta  Vista,  where  he  pursued  his  labors  for  a  month.  The  numerous 
corps  of  attendants  at  his  disposal  enabled  him  to  erect  two  little  huts 
there;  but  few  vestiges  of  these  now  remain  to  indicate  that  human  beings 
ever  occupied  that  lonely  height.  The  retania,  which  had  been  growing 
more  and  more  scarce,  ceased,  together  with  all  other  signs  of  vegetation, 
soon  after  we  left  the  Estancia,  and  we  were  obliged  to  carry  up  bits  of 
dry  Tetania  to  our  halting-place  for  the  iire,  which  Avas  indispensable.  A 
fragment  of  one  of  Professor  Smyth's  walls  afforded  a  partial  shelter;  on 
the  other  side  a  black  mass  of  slag  contributed  its  aid,  but  i-oof,  of  course, 
there  was  none.  The  lire  was  soon  going,  but  the  water  the  muleteers 
had  brought  was  so  muddy  that  we  should  have  been  poorly  off  for  tea  if 
there  had  not  been  a  bank  of  snow  within  a  dozen  feet  of  the  fire.  With 
melted  snow  a  delicious  cup  of  tea  was  brewed  very  soon,  but  it  was 
noticeable  how  rapidly  it  cockled  at  that  height. 

Below  us  lay  the  yellow  floor  of  the  Cailadas ;  beyond  that,  the  stra- 
tum of  trade-wind  clouds;  and  below  these,  the  sea  fading  into  the  sky. 
Around  us  circled  masses  of  lava  presenting  an  astonishing,  singularly 
gj'otesque  variety  of  form;  here  a  j'idge  of  Moorish  battlements;  there 
a  gigantic  goat,  standing  against  the  sky  as  if  startled  and  on  the  alert; 
then  it  seemed  to  be  a  dragon  or  a  griffin  sculptured  out  of  lava  that 
met  the  eye.  As  the  \'iew  was  unobstructed  toward  the  east,  we  saw  the 
shadow  of  the  peak  thrown  across  the  sea  at  sunset,  and  reaching  up  to- 
ward the  zenith  as  the  sun  declined.  The  color  of  the  shadow  was  of  the 
most  exquisite  purple,  delicate  and  elusive  at  the  edges,  but  at  the  same 
time  very  impressive.  Twilight  was  soon  over,  and  the  full  moon  sud- 
deidy  appeared.  A  low  wind  from  the  eastward  now  began  to  blow,  in- 
creasing until  it  became  a  gale,  boisterous  and  gusty,  the  blasts  coming 
sometimes  from  every  quarter  at  once,  as  it  seeined  to  us.  This  wind  con- 
tinued all  night,  intensely  searching  and  violent.  The  muleteers  tended 
the  ffre,  and  bent  over  it  wrapped  in  their  huge  mantles.  Two  blankets, 
two  coats  and  an  overcoat,  two  pairs  of  pantaloons,  and  a  carpet  under 
and  over  me  Avere  insufflcient  to  drive  away  the  sensation  of  cold,  and  I 
slept  not  a  wink  all  night.     Soon  after  3  a.m.  we  took  some  tea,  and  by 


TENERIFFE.  143 

the  light  of  a  hintern  started  for  the  suiiiiiiit,  We  entered  immediately 
on  the  Malpays,  which  can  only  be  described  as  a  mass  of  lava  blocks, 
from  one  to  twenty  feet  long,  but  generally  not  above  live  feet  sqnai'e, 
of  all  shapes,  hea[)ed  together  like  ice  hummocks  in  the  most  inconceiva- 
ble manner.  Often  there  were  cavities  between  them,  into  which  one 
might  easily  fall  sevei'al  feet.  The  stones  were  piled  one  over  the  other 
to  an  unknown  depth,  and  great  caution  was  required  in  springing  over 
them,  especially  with  only  the  dim  glimmer  of  a  lantern  to  guide  us. 
After  climbing  up  a  thousand  feet  over  this  volcanic  debris,  we  came 
again  in  sight  of  the  little  peak,  and,  passing  some  vents,  thi'ough  which 
issued  jets  of  vapor,  emerged  on  the  Rambleta,  or  second  crater,  which 
is  covered  with  pumice-stone.  We  were  soon  across  this,  and  grappled 
with  the  Piton,  which  is  not  less  steep  than  the  largest  of  the  Pyramids, 
but  probal)ly  contains  twice  the  number  of  cubic  feet.  It  is  about  600 
feet  in  height,  chiefly  of  pumice-stone,  with  bits  of  rock  projecting  here 
and  there,  and  serving  as  resting-places  for  the  climber.  When  we  were 
half-way  up,  the  sun  burst  suddenly  above  the  sea,  apparently  out  of  in- 
stead of  beyond  it.  The  variety  and  beauty  of  the  tints  in  the  lower  sky 
at  the  time  were  very  remarkable.  The  peculiar  golden -yellow  glow- 
thrown  by  the  sun  on  the  ti'ade-wind  clouds  directly  under  it,  which  lasted 
for  two  hours,  was  such  as  I  have  seen  under  no  other  circumstances,  nor 
does  it  appear  to  have  been  observed  by  other  travellers. 

This  part  of  the  ascent  was  very  fatiguing.  Humboldt  said  that  Tene- 
riife  was,  with  the  exception  of  JuruUo,  in  Mexico,  the  most  difficult  moun- 
tain he  had  ever  ascended.  He  did  not  exaggerate  the  difficulties.  Pro- 
fessor Smyth  rather  takes  him  to  task  for  this  statement,  unreasonabl}^,  as  I 
think,  for  the  professor  did  not  himself  undertake  it  until  he  had  seasoned 
his  lungs  to  the  rarefied  air  on  Guajara  for  six  weeks.  He  then  spent 
some  days  at  Alta  Vista ;  and  after  a  capital  night's  rest,  without  having 
wasted  his  energies  on  the  previous  day  in  climbing,  went  up  to  the  Ram- 
bleta. There  he  ate  a  hearty  breakfast  before  attempting  the  little  peak, 
and  then,  after  all  this  preparation  and  training,  he  undertakes  to  assure 
us  that  Humboldt,  a  veteran  mountain  climbei",  overestimated  the  difficul- 
ties of  Teneriffe. 

While  we  were  still  over  one  hundred  feet  from  the  summit,  a  gust  of 
wind  suddenly  wafted  the  fumes  of  sulphur  so  strongly  from  the  crater 
that  for  a  moment  I  \vas  almost  overcome  by  it ;  but  as  we  neared  the 
top,  the  oppression  grew  less— a  phenomenon  I  find  it  difficult  to  explain. 
The  crater  which  fitly  terminates  the  celebrated  peak  of  Teneriffe  is  per- 
haps seventy  yards  in  diameter,  with  a  rim  abrupt  and  sharp,  but  rather 


144 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


lower  on  the  western  side.  It  appears  to  be  gradiially  filling  up.  Pro- 
fessor Smyth,  twenty  years  ago,  observed  that  it  was  more  shallow  than  as 
described  by  Humboldt  or  Van  Buck,  and  the  floor  seems  now^  still  more 
elevated ;  I  say  elevated,  for  that  must  be  the  process,  since  there  is  noth- 
ing from  outside  to  account  for  the  decreasing  depth.  The  different  tints 
of  the  stones  in  or  on  the  edge  of  the  crater  are  varied  and  beautiful ; 
but  the  prevailing  colors  which  strike  the  eye  are  the  straw-yellow  and 
pale-green  of  the  sulj)hur,  which  lies  in  separate  masses,  or  covers  the 
rocks  with  moist  sulphur  crystals.  Yapor  constantly  arose  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  crater,  and  the  soil  was  warm, 
although  a  little  snow  still  lingered  in  the 
crevices.  The  wind  was  keen  and  violent. 
The  sky  above  was  unclouded,  and  of  a 
deep  azure.  This  intense  hue  of  the  heav- 
ens has  been  the  subject  of  philosophical 
speculation  ;  but  it  was  not  as  dark  and 
opaque  as  I  have  repeatedly  seen  it  at  the 
top  of  Pico  Puivo,  and  other  mountains  of 
Madeii'a,  which  have  only  half  the  altitude 
of  Teneriffe.  Several  thousand  feet  below 
us  the  impenetrable  curtain  of  trade-wind 
cloud  was  spread  like  a  frozen  land  at  the 
pole,  and  like  the  sea  dovetailing  with  the 
land,  filling  every  bay  and  inlet,  and  dash- 
ing surf- like  against  the  cliffs,  yet  calm 
and  noiseless,  altering  its  forms  so  slowly 
as  to  be  imperceptible.  The  higher  vidges 
towered  above  it  like  islands,  while  here 
and  thei-e  slopes  could  be  seen  below  it, 
but  veiled  in  a  dark  purple  gloom  that  seemed  to  isolate  them  from  the 
rest  of  the  world  forever.  Beyond  this  cloud-land  arose  the  edge  of  the 
ocean,  joining  the  sky  by  an  invisible  line.  The  trade- wind  caused  a 
haze,  which  concealed  several  of  the  Fortunate  Isles ;  but  Grand  Canary, 
Ilierro,  Gomera,  and  La  Palma,  with  its  astonishing  outline,  containing  the 
deepest  crater  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  were  quite  distinct.  The  extent 
of  ocean  visible  from  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe  is  nearly  300  miles  in  diam- 
eter in  very  clear  weather,  or  about  900  miles  in  circumference.  In  win- 
ter, when  other  winds  prevail,  the  whole  group  is  distinctly  seen  ;  but  few 
have  ever  cared  to  ascend  the  Peak  when  deep  snows  envelop  it  with 
almost  arctic  austerity. 


COSILMK    OF    PEASANT. 


TENERIFFE.  145 

On  rehiniing;  over  tlie  Malpays,  avc  stopped  to  examine  the  ice-cave, 
where,  alone  on  the  mountain,  snow  and  water  can  l)e  found  at  all  times 
of  the  year.  It  would  seem  to  be  a  sort  of  vent,  or  air-bubble,  in  the  lava, 
made  when  it  was  at  its  hottest.  On  i-eaching  our  bivouac,  we  breakfasted 
as  well  as  the  circumstances  M'ould  allow,  and  then  pa(^ked  up  the  "traps'" 
and  prepared  to  go.  13ut  the  unexpected  conduct  of  the  mules  delayed 
us  for  nearl}^  two  hours,  incredible  as  it  may  appear.  Tiiree  times  my 
mule  kicked  off  his  saddle,  which,  after  the  girths  were  torn  to  pieces,  was 
M-itli  great  difficulty  made  fast  by  a  bit  of  rope.  To  mount  the  brute  was 
about  as  difficult  as  to  saddle  him.  The  sumpter-mule  also  astonished  us 
by  suddenly  laying  back  his  ears,  throwing  up  his  heels  with  a  snort  that 
was  quite  satanic  in  its  tone,  and,  without  the  slightest  provocation,  flinging 
the  basket  of  crockery  and  provisions  over  his  head.  Plates,  bottles,  and 
cups  were  demolished  in  the  general  wreck.  In  order  to  mount,  I  had  to 
approach  my  nnde  from  his  head,  and  seize  my  chance  when  he  seemed 
exhausted  with  his  diabolical  efforts.  lie  might  have  repeatedly  flung 
me  a  thousand  feet  in  the  air  as  we  descended  the  precipices  of  Tiga}-- 
ga,  and  eftectually  prevented  the  writing  of  this  veracious  record.  As 
he  did  not  thus  take  advantage  of  me  when  I  was  on  his  back,  it  is  onlv 
fair  to  suppose  he  had  a  little  conscience  left,  and  he  should  have  the 
beneflt  of  the  doubt,  since  I  Anally  succeeded  in  i-eaching  Oi'otava  with- 
out further  mishap  than  a  face  burned  almost  beyond  recognition  by  the 
winds  of  the  Peak  and  the  scorching  sun  of  the  Canadas. 

10 


146  THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

EARLY  in  August,  I  took  passage  in  the  little  English  brig-schooner 
Clara,  for  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland.  It  was  a  pleasant  morning 
when  we  cast  off  from  Long  Wharf,  and  dropped  down  the  harbor  be- 
fore a  light  breeze,  which  gradually  famied  the  deeply  laden  craft  out- 
side of  Boston  Light.  The  wind  freshened,  and  everything  promised  fair 
until  after  nightfall,  when  the  heavy  curtain  of  gloom  which  overhung 
the  land  behind  us,  from  whence  issued  ominous  flashes,  and  the  low  growl 
of  distant  thunder  indicated  a  severe  storm  travelling  along  the  shore. 
It  was  evident  after  a  while,  from  the  increasing  vividness  of  the  light- 
ning and  the  mist  that  was  encircling  us,  that  we  were  not  to  escape  a 
touch  of  the  storm.  About  midnight  the  wind  struck  us  with  the  force 
of  a  heavy  squall  from  the  south-west.  The  storm  was  moving  in  a  circle. 
We  were  now  past  Cape  Cod ;  so  the  brig  ran  for  an  hour  under  easy  sail 
before  the  gale,  when,  finding  the  w-ind  likely  to  hold.  Captain  Byrnes 
hove  to  under  close-reefed  foretop-sail,  and  fore  and  main  staysails.  The 
sea  was  rising  fast ;  but  the  Clara  rode  like  a  duck,  dr}'  and  easy  on  the 
seething  waters,  and  about  sunrise  the  force  of  the  gale  blew  itself  out. 
An  observation  at  noon  show^ed  us  to  have  been  driven,  by  wind  and  cur- 
rents combined,  to  the  south  of  the  "  Georges."  All  sail  was  now  made, 
and  I  then  had  an  opportunity  to  take  a  quiet  survey  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany. 

All  on  board  were  natives  of  Newfoundland,  excepting  the  captain, 
who  was  a  native  of  Dublin;  a  Prussian  before  the  mast — the  best  sailor 
on  board;  and  the  writer;  and  all,  with  two  exceptions,  w'ere  of  Irish 
descent,  and  good  "Romans."  I  shared  the  diminutive  cabin  with  four 
seal-hunters  and  sailors,  who  had  turned  junk-dealers  for  the  nonce,  and 
had  just  disposed  of  a  cargo  of  junk  in  Boston,  and  were  returning  with 
an  assorted  cargo,  part  of  which — a  deck-load  of  apples — contributed  to- 
ward making  the  brig  roll  hard,  and  so  overcrowded  the  deck  that  it  was 
a  ticklish  operation  passing  fore  and  aft  in  bad  weather  to  shorten  sail, 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


147 


when  blocks  and  sheets  were  snapping  furiously,  and  she  was  laying  her 
scuppers  under.  A  young  mechanic,  with  his  wife  and  another  young 
woman,  completed  the  list  oi  jirst-class  passengers.  The  young  wife  was 
very  pretty,  but  she  had  a  temper  rougher  than  a  file,  and  a  sea-voyage 
did  not  improve  it.  To  say  that  the  accommodations  were  of  the  most 
limited  and  primitive   character,  and  that  the  fare  was  far  inferior  to 


THE    SPOUT    OFF    CAPiS     BROYLE. 


what  is  furnished  to  seamen  in  the  forecastle  of  American  ships,  is  no 
exaggeration.  Salt  junk  of  the  very  worst  description,  and  pilot -bread 
highly  seasoned  with  the  flavor  of  the  kerosene  oil  and  tar  in  the  run, 
formed  our  diet,  with  a  few  potatoes,  which  soon  gave  out,  and  some  to- 
matoes, intended  for  the  owner,  but  served  out  to  us  in  small  rations  as 
fast  as  they  decayed.  The  unfailing  good-humor  of  Captain  Byrnes,  whose 
broad  face  presided  benignantly  at  the  table  which  he  and  the  owner  had 


148  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

conspired  to  furnish  so  meagrely,  and  the  Attic  salt  and  Irisli  wit  of  the 
junk-dealers,  were  of  some  avail  in  covering  the  deficiencies  of  the  Clara's 
lockei's.  Nothing  conld  exceed  the  garrulonsness  of  these  worthy  island- 
ers; and  only  the  flashes  of  genuine  humor  and  wit  which  enlivened  their 
talk  made  their  everlasting  chatter  endurable.  Early  and  late  they  main- 
tained the  wordy  Donnybrook,  the  endless  discussions  on  questions  sug- 
gested by  their  own  experience  regarding  salvage,  invoices,  the  riglits  of 
ships  as  carriers,  quirks  of  marine  law,  the  treatment  of  wives,  and  the 
like — all  stale  and  prosy  enough,  but  rendered  novel  by  the  animation, 
earnestness,  dogmatism,  and  occasional  shrewdness  displayed,  and  the 
strongly  marked  individuality  of  the  speakers.  The  debates  were  always 
sj)iced  by  the  sallies  of  Johnnie  Feene,  who,  though  usually  on  the  wroTig 
side  of  an  argument,  often,  by  a  neat  repartee,  threw  unexpected  confusion 
into  the  ranks  of  the  opposition.  Amidst  a  number  of  pithy  sentiments 
which  passed  at  random  from  one  side  to  the  other,  two  or  three  struck 
me  as  meaning  more  than,  perhaps,  the  speakers  themselves  realized  at  the 
time.  Said  one  of  the  disputants,  "Ay,  but  remember,  sur,  that  New- 
foundland is  two  cinturies  behind  the  times;"  a  strange  admission  from 
an  old  sea-dog,  and  a  Homan  Catholic  at  that,  who  boasted  elsewhere  of 
the  influence  of  Romanism  on  the  island. 

Another  said,  "  Maybe  ye're  right,  but  thin  there's  a  gi'eat  diiference  be- 
tween justice  and  law."  So  there  is,  my  man,  thought  1;  and  bad  luck  to 
them  that  have  wrought  this  divorce  between  right  and  intellectual  might! 

A  third,  in  reply  to  the  observation,  "  Shure,  but  ivery  man  defers  to 
his  own  opinion,"  i-eplied,  "And  of  coorse;  for  ivery  man's  mind  is  a  king- 
dom to  him."  Now,  here  was  a  man  who  could  not  be  accused  of  ever 
having  read  "Percy's  Reliques,"  or  any  extracts  therefrom,  giving  utter- 
ance to  this  idea  in  words  almost  identical  with  the  first  line  of  the  beau- 
tiful piece  well  known  to  all  lovers  of  English  poetry,  "  My  mind  to  me 
a  kingdom  is."  The  fact  is,  that  the  same  thoughts  in  sinailar  language 
often  occur  to  different  minds  without  collusion,  in  different  ages  and 
countries ;  and  what  critics  who  have  not  studied  their  own  or  others' 
mental  phases  choose  to  stigmatize  as  plagiarism,  is  of  much  less  frequent 
occurrence  than  they  represent.  Indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  very 
often  this  charge  is  made  simply  that  the  critic  may  display  his  own  ac- 
quaintance with  the  passage  he  cites,  in  pi'oof  of  the  charges  so  lightly 
adduced  by  his  officious  pen. 

But  if  there  was  one  topic  more  discussed  hy  these  junk  philosophers 
than  another,  it  was  the  supernatural.  Eushnell  would  have  found  them 
in  full  accord  as  to  the  reality  of  the  supernatural  and  its  relation  to  nat- 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


149 


lire;  and  Robert  Dale  Owen's  "Foot-falls  on  the  Boundary  of  Another 
World  "  contains  notliini^  more  startling  than  the  weird,  mysterious  yarns 
which  were  nightly  told  from  actual  personal  experience  in  the  little 
crowded  cabin  of  the  Ckira ;  told,  too,  in  earnest  tone  to  listeners  who 
heard  with  bated  breath,  and,  on  occasion,  corroborated  the  truth  of  the 
most  impossible  incidents.  By  attending  with  becoming  gravity  and  an 
air  of  implicit  faith,  which,  sooth  to  tell,  almost  turned  sometimes  into 
actual  belief,  I  was  permitted  to  hear  the  story  of  many  a  rare  adventure 
or  encounter  with  the  powers  of  darkness. 

As  I  listened  one  night  by  the  smoky  lantern,  with  the  gravity  of  a 
thorough  believer,  the  captain  asked  me  in  a  whisper  how  I  could  keep 


ENTKANCE    TO     THE    UARBOR    OF    ST.    JOHNS. 


such  a  sober  face,  for  lie  knew  I  did  not  believe  a  word  that  was  said,  and 
he  did  not  believe  more  than  half  of  it  himself. 

"Ah  !  but  don't  you  see,"  1  replied,  "  that  if  I  were  to  laugh,  or  appear 
incredulous, it  would  shut  them  right  up?  And  I  like  to  hear  a  good  yarn 
as  well  as  any  man." 

One  of  the  narratoi's  had  fought  an  hour  with  the  body  of  a  deceased 
friend ;  another  had  been  stopped  on  the  public  road  to  Waterford  Bridge 
l>y  a  "sperrit"  in  the  shape  of  a  black  dog;  another  had  been  within  an 
ace  of  recovering  hidden  "threasure"  from  a  foundered  frigate;  while  a 
foui-tli  had  assisted  in  drawing  "an  irron  chist  of  threasure"  to  the  water's 
edge,  M'hen  the  ghost  of  a  man,  who  had  been  killed  and  buried  with  it  to 
keep  watch  over  it,  suddenly  appeared,  and,  giving  him  a  blow  in  the  face, 
spirited  the  chest  away,  nevermore  to  be  seen  by  mortal  eye. 


150  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Johnnie  Feene,  of  course,  had  his  quota  of  marvels  to  relate,  all  of 
them  sufficiently  entertaining.  One  of  his  stories  recounted  the  experi- 
ence of  a  friend  who,  four  years  previously,  had  left  his  family  starving 
at  Bay  of  Bulls  village,  and  gone  to  St,  Johns  in  search  of  employment. 
Failing  of  this,  he  started  for  home,  and  was  met  after  nightfall  by  a 
black  dog,  who  addressed  him,  and  then  assuming  human  shape,  informed 
him  that  he  was  an  enchanted  person  lixed  by  a  spell  in  a  subterranean 
cavern  near  the  Bay  of  Bulls,  and  that  his  enchantment  could  only  be 
abated  by  the  entrance  of  some  one  sufficiently  bold  to  brave  the  guar- 
dians of  the  cave  and  cany  thence  the  riches  it  contained. 

Overjoyed  at  the  suggestion,  the  fisherman  gladly  volunteered  to  accom- 
pany the  enchanted  stranger,  who  accordingl}^  introduced  him  to  a  sub- 
terranean hall,  vast,  and  goi'geous  with  Oriental  magnificence,  where  the 
wealth  of  the  Indies  lay  appaiently  at  his  disposal,  and  he  had  it  in  his 
power  not  only  to  relieve  the  poverty  of  his  condition,  but  also  to  become 
the  most  opulent  of  Queen  "  Victhoria's"  subjects.  But  suddenly  he  was 
assailed  by  a  troop  of  un\vholeson)e  ghouls,  who  so  disturbed  his  resolu- 
tion that  he  fled  to  the  upper  air,  renouncing  possession  of  the  riches  in 
his  grasp,  and  leaving  the  enchanted  man  enchanted  there  forever. 

Very  naturally,  I  was  led  to  conclude  that  a  more  behaunted,  be- 
witched, and  ghost-ridden  country  nowhere  exists  than  this  same  New- 
foundland, wliich  seemed  to  be  an  outlying  station  of  Pandemonium,  as 
full  of  hidden  treasures  as  the  old  haunts  of  Captain  Kidd,  as  beset  with 
enchantments  as  the  brain  of  Don  Quixote,  as  packed  with  ill-omened 
spirits  as  Alloway  Kirk.  The  imagination  of  these  prosaic,  storm-beaten 
old  fishermen  of  Labrador  teems  with  the  feverish  fancies  of  a  nervous 
child.  The  black  dog  figures  in  most  of  their  legends,  and  is  evidently 
the  htte  noir  of  the  Newfoundlandic  imagination. 

But  all  this  time  we  were  sailing  toward  our  destination  slowly,  but 
steadily.  The  dashing  tide-rips  indicated  that  we  were  on  the  "  Georges," 
"  the  graveyard  of  Cape  Ann,"  as  those  shoals  are  rightly  regarded,  and 
the  fishing-schooners  dotting  the  offing  showed  we  were  on  the  fishing- 
grounds.  It  is  very  strange  that  no  light-ship  has  ever  been  stationed  on 
these  dangerous  shoals:  many  a  ship  must  have  met  her  fate  on  Cultiva- 
tor's Ledge,  where  the  depth  is  but  three  feet  at  mean  low  tide.  It  is  not 
too  late  for  Government  to  put  np  a  beacon  there,  and  thus  mitigate  the 
perils  of  one  of  the  sailor's  M'orst  foes.  A  south-wester  took  us  toward 
Sable  Island,  but  the  currents  seemed  to  combine  with  calms  to  set  us 
nearer  a  direct  line  with  that  island  than  was  comfortable.  Somehow  the 
brig  failed  to  make  the  desired  northing,  and  two  successive  observations 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


151 


did  not  allay  the  difficulty.  It  happened  about  this  time  that  I  took  a 
trick  at  the  wheel.  We  were  running  with  the  wind  just  abaft  of  the  star- 
board quarter,  and  I  noticed  that  the  vessel,  being  too  much  by  the  head 
and  carrying  too  weather  a  helm,  from  the  pressure  of  her  large  main-sail, 
''griped" — that  is, had  a  tendency  to  fly  into  the  wind — which  rather  aided 
in  giving  us  a  drift  to  starboard.  On  informing  the  captain  of  this,  he 
immediately  took  in  the  main-sail  and  gaff-topsail,  and  kept  the  vessel  away 
two  points.  The  next  observation  indicated  a  very  decided  improvement 
in  the  ship's  course,  and  on  the  following  day  we  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  in  the  southern  horizon  the  low  globular  clouds  called  wool-packs, 
which  in  clear  weather  hang  over  the  island  and  show  where  it  lies  when 
too  distant  to  be  visible. 


ASCENT    TO     A    "  FLAKE." 


Sable  Island  is  the  bugbear  of  the  mariners  coasting  in  its  vicinity. 
It  is  so  low  that  it  cannot  be  descried  until  close  at  hand ;  and  is  besides 
enveloped  in  dense  fogs  half  the  time,  and  so  beset  with  swift  tides  and 
currents  as  to  make  it  a  very  treacherous  spot.  Simply  a  sand-bank  scarce 
elevated  above  the  ocean  level,  its  sands  are  constantly  shifting  and  alter- 
ing its  shape ;  so  easily,  in  fact,  are  its  sands  blown  to  and  fro,  that  ship- 
masters who  are  wrecked  there  are  recommended  to  make  no  effort  to 
escape,  as  the  sand  will  at  once  begin  to  gather  around  the  grounded  ves- 
sel and  form  a  breakwater  that  will  enal)le  the  crew  to  escape  at  their 
leisure.  So  soft  and  yielding  is  the  beach  that,  some  years  ago,  on  a  quiet 
moonlight  night,  a  vessel  went  ashore  there  so  easily  that  none  of  the  crew- 
were  aware  when  it  happened ;  the  watch  were  asleep,  including  the  man 
at  the  wheel ;  the  captain  was  in  his  bunk.     And  there  she  lay  until  day- 


153  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

light ;  tlien  the  master  went  on  deck,  and  behold !  his  vessel  was  hopelessly 
aground  on  Sable  Island  !  He  afterward  received  another  ship,  but  con- 
trived to  leave  her  ribs  also  bleaching  on  the  same  unlucky  spot,  and  it  is 
almost  needless  to  say  was  not  again  intrusted  with  a  command.  The 
island  is  inhabited  only  by  a  corps  of  Government  wreckers,  who  commu- 
nicate with  the  main-land  once  a  month,  and  two  or  three  hundred  wild 
ponies,  bred  from  a  stock  wrecked  there  in  colonial  times. 

From  Sable  Island  we  beat  up  abreast  of  Canso,  and  made  Scatari 
Light,  at  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  Cape  Breton,  on  the  tenth  evening. 
Louisbnrg,  or  what  grass-covered  mounds  remain  of  that  once  famous  for- 
tress, lay  hidden  in  the  gloom  to  leeward,  even  its  light  being  invisible. 
The  light-keeper  had  probably  gone  off  to  a  dance.  It  was  a  black  night, 
and  unpleasantly  calm  considering  the  proximity  of  the  shore,  and  that 
the  tide  was  swinging  us  helplessly  toward  the  rocks,  against  which  we 
could  hear  more  and  more  distinctly  the  deep  rote  of  the  long  ocean  swell. 
But  about  nine  we  heard  a  wind  rushing  over  the  water,  which  soon  filled 
our  sails,  and  sent  us  plunging  toward  Cape  Race,  three  hundred  and  iifty 
miles  away ;  and  a  race  indeed  we  had  of  it,  running  before  a  stiff  breeze 
under  press  of  sail,  rolling  gunwale  under  in  the  heavy  following  surges, 
the  porpoises  playing  around  the  foaming  bow  with  phosphorescent  trail, 
and  not  rarely  a  huge  whale  starting  up  and  spouting  along-side.  One 
line  morning  a  school  of  eight  whales — good-sized  fellows — passed  close 
astern,  remaining  at  the  surface  and  tossing  smoke-like  jets  of  spray  into 
the  air  for  some  time. 

Those  who  voyage  in  steamboats,  while  they  gain  in  comforts  suitable 
to  the  invalid,  lose,  on  the  other  hand,  much  of  the  zest  and  flavor  of  sea- 
life.  Not  for  them  is  the  adventurous  sensation  imparted  to  one  who 
roughs  it  in  a  sailing-vessel,  and  enjoys  the  variety  and  excitement  which 
come  with  the  trimming  of  sails  and  the  management  of  a  ship  in  a  blow. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  constant  grumble  of  a  steamer's  machinery  prevents 
a  full  appreciation  of  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  ocean,  deadening  the  wash 
of  the  waves  and  the  sublime  chant  of  tlie  wind  in  the  rigging.  For  the 
vovager  on  the  sailing-vessel  is  reserved  that  most  weird  of  ocean  sounds, 
the  nnittering  and  shrieking  of  Mother  Carey's  chickens — those  wandering 
gypsies  of  the  sea — floating  over  the  water  through  the  gloom  of  a  dark 
night,  like  the  eldrich  laughter  of  lost  spirits.  Only  on  a  sailing-vessel 
can  one  realize  in  any  degree  what  the  navigators  of  other  days  have  en- 
dured, and  imagine,  as  he  tosses  on  tlie  buffeting  surges,  that  he  is  bound 
with  the  intrepid  Vasco  to  discover  the  Indies,  witli  Columbus  seeks  to 
evoke  land  from   an   unknown  void,  with  Magalhaens  is  encircling  the 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


15i 


globe,  or  with  Ralcii;'h  or  Sir  Ilninpln-cy  Gilbert  is  traversing  the  endless 
spaces  of  waves  to  discover  El  Dorado  or  quaff  at  the  fountain  of  youth. 
On  the  thirteenth  day  out  we  sighted  Cape  Mary's,  and  stood  all 
day  along  the  southern  coast  of  Newfoundland.  Small  fishing-schooners 
were  niiinerous,  noticeable  for  their  black  sails,  dyed  in  oil  and  tar  to 
make  them  durable,  which  entirely  ruins  the  picturesque  appearance  usual 
to  fishing  craft,  and  aids  to  give  a  melancholy  aspect  to  a  shore  that  is 
already  sufficiently  barren  and  dismal.  No  other  signs  of  life  were  visible 
from  dawn  until  nightfall,  except  two  or  three  fishing  huts,  and  the  light- 
houses on  Cape  Pine  and  Ca23e  Race.  Having  a  leading  wind^and  no 
fog,  we  passed  within  half  a  mile  of  the  latter,  so  famous  for  its  ship- 


CAPE     RAT. — TELEGRAPH     HOUSE. 


wrecks.  It  is  altogether  a  very  cheerful  spot,  invested  with  the  most 
agreeable  associations.  In  Trepassy  Bay,  close  at  hand,  for  example,  four 
ocean  steamers  have  been  lost,  two  within  a  year,  with  all  on  board ;  and 
just  beyond,  scarce  a  mile  north  of  the  cape,  is  the  graveyard  on  the  cliff, 
where  those  are  buried  whose  bodies  were  recovered  by  divers  from  the 
Anglo- Saxon,  which  struck  in  a  fog,  and  went  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
beetling  crags.  The  City  of  Philadelphia  was  wrecked  not  far  from  the 
same  spot,  as  well  as  many  other  ill-fated  vessels. 

Under  press  of  sail  we  glided  up  the  eastern  coast  of  the  island,  which 
welcomed  us  with  a  succession  of  chilling  squalls  from  the  high  land, 
which,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions,  is  the  formation  of  this  part  of 
Newfoundland.  There  was  nothing  inviting  in  the  prospect.  The  rocky 
shore  was  like  a  huge  wall  falling  sheer  down  most  forbiddingly,  seamed 
here  and  there  by  deep  gulches,  at  the  bottom  of  which  two  or  three  fish- 


154  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

ernien's  huts  might  be  discenied  at  long  intervals.  Midway  between  Cape 
Race  and  St.  Johns  we  passed  Cape  Broyle,  a  forbidding  headland,  which 
is  pierced  by  a  cavity  called  the  Spout.  In  easterly  gales  the  rush  of  the 
sea  forces  the  water  up  like  a  whale -spout,  with  a  sound  of  thunder. 
When  we  rounded  Cape  Spear,  wliose  light  is  370  feet  above  the  sea,  the 
scene  only  became  more  grand  and  desolate.  Before  us,  in  the  north, 
towered  Sugar  Loaf,  like  a  stupendous  bastion  of  some  sea-fortress ;  and 
as  we  sheered  to  the  westward,  the  houses  of  St.  Johns  were  visible  as 
through  a  telescope  at  the  end  of  a  deep  gulch  or  channel,  scarce  two  ca- 
bles'-length  in  width,  guarded  on  either  hand  by  vast  perpendicular  cliffs. 
Signal  Hill,  on  the  north  side  of  the  entrance,  soars  to  a  height  of  730  feet. 
A  wheezing  little  tug  came  out  and  towed  us  through  the  channel  into 
the  snuggest  pocket  of  a  harbor  in  the  world,  and  laid  us  along-side  the 
wharf  of  the  United  States  consul,  the  owner  of  the  brig. 

St.  Johns  is  a  place  of  about  23,000  inhabitants.  It  straggles  rather 
aimlessly  along  the  water  and  up  a  slope,  and  is  a  cross  between  an  Irish 
and  an  English  seaport,  and,  except  as  it  thereby  repi'esents  an  anomaly 
belonging  rather  to  the  Old  than  to  the  New  World,  offers  nothing  especi- 
al W  worthy  of  note.  The  streets  abound  with  dogs  almost  as  if  it  were  a 
Turkish  city,  generally  of  mongrel  breeds,  and  burdened  by  a  billet  of 
wood  hung  to  the  neck,  which  renders  them  harmless.  So  numerous  are 
dogs  in  the  habited  regions,  and  so  mischievous  to  the  flocks,  that  the 
laws  of  the  island  permit  any  one  to  shoot  them  at  sight.  But  while  other 
curs  are  so  common,  individuals  of  the  genuine  Newfoundlandic  stock  are 
scarce,  and  fetch  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  dollars.  The  breed  is  con- 
sequently guarded  with  great  care,  but  seems,  nevertheless,  to  be  dying  out. 
Kg  dog  that  is  not  entirely  jet-black,  and  has  not  the  web-foot  and  dew- 
claw,  is  of  the  unmixed  Newfoundland  breed. 

The  port  of  St.  Johns  is  small,  but,  as  before  observed,  well  sheltered, 
and  presents  in  summer-time  a  bustling  appearance,  being  crowded  with 
vessels  of  all  nations.  On  entering  the  passage  to  the  harbor  a  pungent 
"ancient  fishy  smell"  informs  the  stranger  what  is  the  trade  of  the  island. 
The  energies  of  the  islanders  are  devoted  to  the  seal  and  cod  fisheries. 
Early  in  March  the  seal-hunters,  as  the  sealing-vessels  are  called,  put  to 
sea,  cutting  a  way  out  through  the  ice  if  necessarj^,  and  strike  directly 
for  the  ice-fields  in  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  where  the  seals  congregate 
in  great  numbers.  From  fifty  to  seventy -five  men  go  in  a  sealei',  their 
bunks  being  ranged  gallery-like  along  the  hold.  Half  the  proceeds  go  to 
the  crew,  half  to  the  owner  or  planter.  Thirty  pounds  are  a  fair  average 
per  man,  thirty-six  pounds  being  occasionally  made  in  one  trip ;  and  two 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


155 


trips  are  soinetiines  taken   in   the  season,  which  lasts   until  May.      The 
sealers   are   usually  brigautincs,  and  are  somewhat  wedge-shaped  in  the 


floor,  so  that  when  nipped  by  the  ice,  they  are  raised  up  instead  of  being 
crushed,  slipping  back  into  the  water  when  the  ice  parts.  Nevertheless, 
serious  mishaps  not  rarely  occur.     Latterly  a  few  screw-steamers,  carry- 


156  THE    ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

ing  150  to  200  men, have  been  introduced;  their  crews  share  only  a  third 
of  the  receipts,  but  the  increased  rapidity  of  locomotion  enables  them  to 
gain  equal  profits  with  the  other  crews. 

The  best  seals  are  those  called  whitecaps,  harps,  and  hoods ;  the  lat- 
ter are  so  named  because  the  males,  when  attacked,  protect  their  faces  by 
a  cartilaginous  visor,  hard  as  India-rubber  and  impenetrable  to  the  spear. 
Two  men  are  requisite  to  kill  these — one  to  divert  the  attention  of  the 
seal,  while  the  other  thrusts  the  lance  through  the  throat.  The  men  em- 
ployed in  this  business  wear  snow-spectacles,  formed  of  blue  glass,  and 
protected  on  the  sides  by  a  fine  net-work  of  wire,  but  even  thus  do  not 
always  escape  a  touch  of  snow-blindness,  which  is  very  common  and  pain- 
fully acute. 

The  cod-fisheries  of  Newfoundland  are  even  more  profitable  than  seal- 
catching.  Not  only  do  her  fishermen  resort  to  the  Banks,  but  all  along 
the  shore  in  her  spacious  bays  they  "  till  the  farm  that  pays  no  fee,"  and 
the  stages  and  "fiakes,"  or  platforms,  for  diying  the  fish  are  to  be  seen  at 
every  hamlet,  crossing  above  the  street  like  vine  trellises  in  Italy,  bearing 
a  fruit  less  fragrant  and  graceful,  but  not  less  useful — codfish  destined 
for  the  nourishment  of  good  Catholics  the  world  over,  so  long  as  Tuesdays 
and  Fridays  and  Lent  continue  sacred  to  cod.  It  is  interesting,  when 
walking  in  the  suburbs  of  St.  Johns  of  a  pleasant  day,  to  see  the  women 
and  boys,  who  cure  the  fish  while  the  men  are  gone  to  sea,  driving  cai-ts 
into  town  from  Quidy  Vidy,  Empty  Basket,  and  other  little  fishing  ports, 
drawn  by  diminutive  ponies  and  laden  with  salt  fish  ready  to  be  shipped 
to  distant  lands.  In  other  countries  the  peasantry  flock  to  the  shire-town 
with  vegetables  and  fruits,  the  product  of  the  gardens  and  vineyard. 
In  Newfoundland  it  is  codfish  that  the  peasantry  carry  to  the  market- 
town. 

And  yet,  although  the  profits  of  the  seal  and  cod-fishei'ies  are  large, 
and  all  on  the  island  are  in  some  way  connected  with  what  is  virtually  its 
sole  business,  poverty  of  the  most  abject  character  is  the  rule  among  all 
but  a  very  few.  This  business  is  under  the  control  of  monopolists,  and 
presents,  by  the  way  it  is  managed,  an  instructive  example  of  what  may 
result  when  the  sense  of  mutual  interest  which  should  bind  capital  and 
labor  is  forgotten.  Twelve  men,  most  of  whom  reside  in  England,  and 
carry  on  the  business  through  agents  in  Newfoundland,  furnish  the  capi- 
tal on  which  the  fisheries  are  conducted ;  consequently  a  large  portion  of 
the  profits  does  not  remain  in  the  country,  but  is  taken  abroad  to  be  dis- 
tributed elsewhere.  But  this  is  a  minor  evil  compared  with  the  iron 
clutch  by  which  these  capitalists  hold  every  fisherman,  as  it  were,  by  the 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


157 


throat,  scarcely  permitting  liim  to  draw  breath  without  their  leave.  Tlie 
truck  system,  so  powerfully  rebuked  in  Parliament,  and  working  disas- 
trously in  some  of  the  Pennsylvania  mines,  is  in  full  force  in  Newfound- 
land. The  capitalists,  in  return  for  the  iish,  pay  the  fishermen  in  kind ; 
that  is,  furnish  tlicm  with  all  the  supplies  for  supporting  their  famihes 
or  carrying  on  their  vocation,  so  managing  as  to  oblige  them  to  draw 
in  advance  of  the  profits  of  the  still  ungathered  crops  of  fish  or  seals— a 
draft  on  the  future— and  contrive  that  the  account  shall  always  so  stand 
as  to  leave  the  poor  fisherman,  already  rendered  improvident  by  this  prac- 
tice, always  in  debt,  and  thus  always  in  the  power  of  the  capitalist.  In 
addition  to  this,  the  capitalists  or  their  agents  meet  in  a  club  or  Board 


CLEANING    FISH. 


of  Trade  room  at  stated  periods,  and  arrange  among  themselves  the  val- 
ues to  be  placed  on  the  supplies  furnished  to  the  fishermen  in  their  em- 
ploy, and  from  these  prices,  be  they  never  so  high,  there  is  no  appeal, 
nor,  from  the  situation  of  affairs,  is  there  any  remed}^  to  be  provided 
against  the  repetition  of  the  extortion.  Gradually,  but  surely,  has  this 
tremendous  tyranny  gained  strength  on  the  island,  and,  so  long  as  they 
remain  under  the  present  Government,  shuts  out  all  hope  or  power  of 
improvement  or  progress  in  the  condition  of  the  islanders,  or  of  the  devel- 
opment of  the  mineral  and  agricultural  resources  which  Newfoundland 
undoubtedly  possesses  in  a  remarkable  degree. 

The  island  has  nearly  the  superficial  area  of  New  England,  and  yet  with 
a  population  of  only  a  trifle  over  150,000 ;  and  these,  with  the  exception  of 


158  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

St.  Johns  and  Harbor  Grace,  are  doled  out  along  the  singularly  indented 
and  irregular  coast  in  little  settlements  of  half  a  dozen  cabins,  widely  sep- 
arated from  each  other;  and  even  this  meagre  civilization  is  confined  to 
the  seaboard.  Immediately  on  sticking  inland,  one  comes  to  the  primeval 
forests  of  spruce  and  pine,  which  are  about  as  destitute  of  ti'aces  of  the  su- 
preme Caucasian  race  as  if  Columbus  had  never  been  born.  Half  a  cen- 
tury ago,  one  white  man,  with  an  Indian  guide,  crossed  from  the  eastern 
to  the  western  coast,  and  wrote  a  valuable  account  of  his  trip  and  of  the 
interior  wilds  ;  but  no  one  has  followed  in  his  track  until  within  five  or 
six  years  since,  and  the  deer  still  migrate  unmolested  from  north  to  south 
with  the  change  of  the  seasons.  The  few  Micmac  Indians  reniainino-  live 
chiefly  along  the  northern  shore.  The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  a  rail- 
road will  traverse  the  island  from  Cape  Kay  to  Trinity  Bay  or  St.  Johns, 
connecting  with  a  line  of  transatlantic  steamers.  From  Cape  Ray  to  Cape 
North,  on  Cape  Breton  Island,  it  is  only  forty  miles,  and  travellers  afraid 
of  sea-sickness  or  pressed  for  time  could  thus  reduce  the  distance  by  water 
between  New  York  and  Liverpool  1200  miles. 

The  Roman  Catholics  have,  in  former  time,  been  in  excess  of  the  Prot- 
estants of  the  island,  and,  as  elsewhere,  have  characteristicalh'  secured  the 
most  commanding  site  in  St.  Johns  for  their  cathedral,  which  is  the  first 
object  that  meets  the  eye  on  entering  the  port,  its  imposing  Italian  archi- 
tecture suggesting  similar  scenes  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  its  size  and 
position  leading  a  stranger  to  infer  that  opulence  and  numbers  are  mo- 
nopolized by  the  Romanists ;  but  the  exterior  is  far  more  showj^  than  the 
interior,  which  is  cold  and  barn-like,  finished  off  with  crumbling  stucco, 
and  poorly  ornamented  with  cheap  copies  after  the  Masters. 

The  last  census,  however,  showed  that  the  Protestant  element  is  gain- 
ing, and  is  now  in  a  respectable  majority,  chiefly  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, but  including  a  fair  proportion  of  Scotch  Presbyterians  and  Wes- 
leyans.  The  Anglican  Bishop  of  Newfoundland  presides  over  the  most 
extraordinary  diocese  in  Christendom.  The  see  may  almost  litei-ally  be 
termed  the  sea ^  for  while  it  is  the  largest  in  limits  in  the  world,  it  is 
almost  entirely  composed  of  water,  and  the  good  prelate  discharges  his 
episcopal  duties  by  much  traversing  of  the  boisterous  Atlantic.  New- 
foundland and  the  "  vexed  Bermoothes,"  with  all  the  waters  wide  that  i-oll 
between,  are  comprehended  in  this  episcopate  of  many  miles  and  few 
souls,  imless  we  include  soles  that  in  the  sea  do  dwell.  A  schooner-yacht 
is  owned  by  his  reverence,  who  in  the  summer  visits  and  confirms  his 
Northern  flocks,  a  third  of  the  coast  of  Newfoundland  being  thus  circum- 
navigated by  this  ghostly  yachtsman  once   a  year.     The  fourth  summer 


NEWFOUNDLAND.  159 

he  rests  from  these  maritime  visitations,  and  the  winters  he  devotes  to 
the  spiritual  necessities  of  the  Bernnidas,  who  evidently  receive  more  than 
their  share  of  spiritual  nourishment.  A  suffragan  bisliop  resides  at  St. 
Johns,  and  missionaries,  as  they  may  well  be  called,  are  set  over  the  fishing 
hamlets.  They  take  charge  of  several  each,  and  go  from  one  to  the  other 
in  fishing-boats,  faithfully  and  patiently  doling  out  the  scant  store  of  re- 
ligion to  the  poor  islanders,  and,  as  one  of  their  number  observed  to  me, 
"  endeavorino;  to  make  ffood  Christians  of  them,  or  at  least  good  Churcli- 
men." 

It  is  supposed  by  many  in  the  United  States  that  Newfoundland  be- 
longs to  the  Is^ew  Dominion,  while  others,  better  informed  as  to  that,  but, 
as  would  seem,  against  the  best  interests  of  our  country,  which  already 
embraces  all  the  territory  we  can  take  care  of  for  the  present,  have  en- 
deavored to  create  a  movement  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  that  island 
to  the  "  States."  For  Newfoundland,  at  least,  it  would  doubtless  prove 
an  advance  on  her  condition  as  it  is  now,  split  by  rival  factions  and 
under  the  control  of  monopolists,  who  repress  the  energies  of  the  people 
and  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  vast  mineral  resources  of  the  island. 
Tliere  are  two  political  parties  there,  strongly  divided  on  the  question 
of  confederation  with  the  New  Dominion,  a  measure  which  could  only 
result  to  the  ultimate  advantage  of  the  islanders.  So  it  is  properly  re- 
garded by  the  best  citizens,  but  they  are  unfortunately  still  in  the  minor- 
ity ;  and  such  is  the  ignorance  of  the  masses,  that  they  are,  of  course,  nn- 
der  the  guidance  of  pestilent  demagogues,  those  curses  inevitably  attend- 
ant on  democracy  in  all  ages,  who,  for  the  accomplishment  of  their  selfish 
ends,  give  currency  to  the  most  amazing  stories  against  Canada,  so  incred- 
ible that  I  refrain  from  repeating  them  here,  yet  not  too  incredible  for 
the  credulity  of  those  for  whose  benefit  they  are  manufactured.  The 
elections  are  attended  by  much  excitement  and  corruption,  and  the  intel- 
ligence and  integrity  of  the  Legislature  are  not  above  suspicion.  Lowell's 
"New  Priest  of  Conception  Bay"  gives  a  vivid  idea  of  certain  phases  of 
life  in  Newfoundland.  The  lower  classes  are  generally  a  very  rough  set, 
especially  on  the  southern  coast,  and,  if  we  may  trust  the  statements  of 
some  of  the  clergy,  an  infusion  of  practical  Christianity  into  the  morals  of 
the  people  is  one  of  the  demands  of  the  island. 

There  is  some  attempt  at  popular  education  on  the  part  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, but,  judging  from  the  intelligence  of  the  popular  mind,  wisdom 
will  not  die  with  the  Newfoundlanders.  Tliere  is  a  reading-room  at  St. 
Johns,  for  the  free  use  of  which  I  here  tender  my  grateful  acknowledg- 
ments; but  communication  with  the  outside  world  is  at  best  but  scanty. 


160  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

The  United  States  press  is  represented  in  the  book-stores  by  tlie  most 
vii]o-ar  of  the  New  York  weekhes,  which  may  account  for  the  not  unrea- 
sonable opinion  expressed  to  me  by  a  usually  well-informed  clergyman, 
that  he  supposed  "  the  United  States  was  governed  entirely  by  mob  law." 
Tlie  papers  of  St.  Johns  are  of  a  contemptible  character;  the  telegraphic 
news  they  contain  is  much  garbled,  and,  what  seems  extraordinary,  con- 
sidering the  near  vicinity  of  Heart's  Content — the  terminus  of  the  cable — 
is  obtained  by  way  of  Boston  and  Halifax,  several  days  after  date !  Mail 
communication  is  maintained  with  Halifax,  and  the  rest  of  the  world 
thereby,  once  or  twice  monthly  by  steam-packet.  Considering  how  rarely 
the  mails  have  to  be  made  up  and  distributed,  the  post-othce  might  almost 
seem  a  sinecure,  and  yet  it  will  excite  a  smile  to  learn  that  the  postal 
ofhcials  have  been  known  to  complain  of  overwork  ! 

After  all,  1  found  it  pleasant  to  be  quiet  a  while,  and  free  from  the 
turmoil  and  confusion,  the  constant  hurry  of  events,  the  swift-recurring 
rush  of  telegrams,  the  fever  of  life  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  to  live 
over  a  bit  of  "still  life,"  somewliat  as  it  was"  in  some  retired  English  sea- 
faring town  seventy  years  ago.  And  while  one  can  hardly  consider  New- 
foundland, with  its  pale  sunliglit  and  sere  plains,  solitary  forests  and  in- 
frequent mails,  altogether  the  place  to  live  in,  yet  it  is  well  worth  a  visit. 
Its  aboriginal  scenery,  unexplored  wastes,  quaint  capital,  curious  fishing- 
ports,  frowning  coast,  legendary  lore,  hospitable  folk,  and  blooming  lassies 
with  eyes  of  brinnning  blue,  cheeks  mantling  with  the  roses  of  health, 
plump,  trim  figures,  and  elastic  step,  and  its  unusual  fishing  and  hunting 
advantages  for  sportsmen,  present  a  variety  of  attractions  adapted  to  in- 
terest and  please  the  stranger,  and  store  his  memory  with  delightful  recol- 
lections. 


THE   BERMUDAS- 


IGl 


CHAPTER  VIIL 


THE   BERMUDAS. 

SEVEX  hundred  and  seventy  miles  south-east  from  New  York,  in  the 
Latitude  of  Charleston,  and  the  other  side  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  to 
which  we  are  indebted  for  a  variety  of  ill-natured  weather,  lies  the  cele- 
brated cluster  of  islets  called  the  Bermudas.  Having  been  long  desirous 
of  seeing  them,  I  was  duly  exultant  when  I  at  last  held  in  my  hand  the 
ticket  of  the  "  Quebec  and  Gulf  Ports  Steamship  Company,"  entitling 
me  to  a  berth  in  the  steamship  Canima.  We  left  the  wharf  on  a  Thurs- 
day, at  3  P.M.,  and  made  the  land  on  Monday  morning  at  3  a.m.  Steer- 
ing around  the  southern  side  of  the  islands,  we  entered  the  narrow  chan- 
nel  north  of  St.  George's,  and,  passing  inside  of  the  reefs,  meandered  among 
islets  and  hidden  shelves  until  we 
came  to  Hamilton,  by  one  of  the 
most  tortuous  and  difficult  channels 
ever  attempted  by  a  vessel. 

Once   within    the    basin   forming 
the  port  of  Hamilton,  we  found  our- 


162 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


selves  in  a  lovely,  landlocked  lake,  girt  with  a  diadem  of  miniature  isles, 
and  the  white-roofed  and  latticed  cottages  and  palms  of  the  little  capital 
straggling  dreamily  to  the  waters  edge  at  the  bottom  of  a  fairy-like  bay. 
Dropping  an  anchor  and  mooring  to  it,  the  Canima  was  gradually  warped 
to  some  forty  feet  from  the  quay,  which  she  could  not  reach  on  account 
of  a  shallow,  that  might  be  dredged  out  with  a  moderate  sum  and  a  tri- 
fling amount  of  enterprise.  The  great  events  in  life  at  Hamilton,  aside 
from  the  yacht-races  and  paper-hunts,  are  the  arrivals  and  departures  of 

the  New  York  packet.  Accordingly, 
the  pier  was  thronged  with  people,  black 
and  white,  showing  on  the  glaring, 
calcareous  soil  like  pawns  huddled  in 
disorder  on  a  chess-board.  Tliere  they 
stood,  aristocrats  and  plebeians,  with  a 
sjndnkling  of  redcoats  and  jolly  men- 
of-war's-men,  chattering  and  chafting, 
while  we  on  board  also  leaned  expect- 
ant on  the  bulwarks,  wondering  how 
we  were  to  get  on  shore.  To  land  in 
boats  when  we  were  but  a  dozen  yards 
off  seemed  preposterous;  but  no  other 
visible  means  of  getting  to  land  with 
dry  feet  seemed  to  offer.  A  bustle  in  the  crowd  soon  indicated  a  solu- 
tion of  the  problem.  Ropes  flung  from  the  ship  were  caught  on  shore 
and  made  fast  to  the  outer  end  of  long  timbers,  which  were  now  pushed 
out  into  space  by  ebony  'longshoremen,  until  by  means  of  the  ropes  the 
oscillating  ends  were  drawn  on  board,  thus  causing  the  timbers  to  rest 
one  end  on  shore,  the  other  on  board.  Immediately  a  swarm  of  shining 
blacks,  grinning  and  yelling,  bestrode  these  beams,  holding  crossbars,  whicli 
they  lashed  to  the  underside  of  the  timbers.  It  was  a  novel  sight,  the 
double  row  of  litlie,  half-clad,  darkies,  clinging  with  bare  feet  to  the  logs 
flfteen  feet  above  the  water.  When  the  frame  had  been  pi-opcrly  lashed 
together,  planks  were  laid  over  it,  and  thus  we  passed  from  deck  to  land. 
A  crane,  1)}^  which  a  bridge  (^onld  be  lowered,  or  such  a  bridge  on  wheels 
"as  we  nse  in  New  York,  would  be  perfectly  feasible,  and  perhaps  less  cost- 
ly in  the  end;  but,  were  any  suoli  iimovation  to  be  introduced,  a  riot 
might  result,  to  which  the  emeute  excited  by  Demetrius  the  coppersmith 
would  be  trifling,  the  negroes  who  put  up  and  take  down  this  rude  bridge 
bawling  with  "  damnable  iteration,"  "  This  our  craft  is  in  danger  to  be 
set  at  naught !" 


THE   "BERMUDAS. 


103 


I  never  witnessed  a 
more  thorouglily  laughable 
and  ridiculons  incident  than 
a  palaver  between  a  half- 
breed  and  a  full-blooded 
Congo  on  Hamilton  Quay, 
about  a  cur  which  the  lat- 
ter had  pushed  into  the  wa- 
ter on  a  certain  steamer- 
day.  Such  grandiloquent 
language,  perpetually  mis- 
pronounced, such  mock 
dignity  and  high  sense  of 
personal  honor,  such  ab- 
surd gestures  and  rolling 
of  the  eyes,  such  barbaric 
eloquence  about  nothing, 
would  bring  tears  of  laugh- 
ter to  the  eyes  of  the  Car- 
.diff  Giant. 

The  Bermudas  received 
their  name  from  Juan  Ber- 
mudez,  who,  when  driving 
past  in  a  gale  of  wind,  first 
sighted  them  in  1503 ;  but 
no  attempt  to  profit  by  the 
discovery  seems,  to  have 
been  made  until  1552,  wlien 
Philip  II.  concluded  to  as- 
sume formal  possession  of 
the  group,  and  Ferdinand 
Camelo  sailed  for  Bermu- 
da with  a  band  of  colo- 
nists. A  rock  bearing  the 
initials  of  Camelo,  the  date 
of  landing,  and  a  cross,  still 
stands  near  the  centre  of 
the  island.  No  other  i-elics 
of  this  Latin  colony  exist ; 
but  Henry  May,  an  English 


i 


164  THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

seaman,  wrecked  there  in  1593,  relates  that  he  found  an  abundance  of 
wild-hogs,  a  relic  of  this  colony,  which  have  long  since  been  extermi- 
nated. In  1009,  Sir  George  Somers  was  on  the  voyage  to  Virginia,  and 
was  wrecked  on  the  Bermudas,  where  he  died  in  1611,  and  the  group  is 
sometimes  called  after  him.  At  some  earlier  period,  the  ubiquitous  Cap- 
tain John  Smith,  who  turns  up  in  all  the  American  colonies  at  intervals, 
landed  at  the  Bermudas,  and  made  some  startling  statements  regarding 
the  aboriginal  spiders  he  found  there.  In  the  words  of  an  old  chronicler: 
"  They  could  not  find  by  any  observations  that  they  [the  spiders]  were  at 
all  pernicious ;  yet  they  are  of  a  very  large  size,  but  withal  beautifully 
colored,  and  look  as  if  they  were  adorned  with  pearl  and  gold.  Their 
webs  are  in  color  and  substance  a  perfect  raw  silk,  and  so  strongly  woven 
that,  running  from  tree  to  tree,  like  so  many  snares,  small  birds  are  some- 
times caught  in  them.  This  Captain  Smith  reports,  upon  whose  credit 
as  greut  an  improbability  as  this  may  be  ventured  to  be  related."  No 
such  magnificent  spiders  now  inhabit  Bermuda,  and  we  must  say  Captain 
Smith's  testimony  on  the  subject  is  hardly  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  scepti- 
cism of  this  faithless  and  unbelieving  generation.  But  some  large-sized, 
although  harndess,  spiders  are  there  still,  which  have  an  uncivil  habit  of 
entering  one's  bedroom  without  leave  and  dropping  down  on  the  pillow 
from  the  ceiling  after  the  light  has  been  blown  out  for  the  night. 

Kepresentative  government  was  organized  in  Bermuda  in  1020,  the 
year  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth.  As  the  first  permanent  settlers 
of  the  islands  were  Puritans,  impelled  thither  in  search  of  an  asylum  for 
religious  freedom,  the  coincidence  is  rather  remarkable,  and  worthy  of 
more  attention  than  it  has  received  from  the  historians.  These  settlers 
were  for  a  while  great  sufferers  from  a  memorable  plague  of  rats  as 
numerous  as  the  swarm  which  devoured  Bishop  Ilatto  on  the  Rhine. 
They  were  everywhere,  and  destroyed  everything,  even  swimujing  from 
one  island  to  another.  Cats  and  dogs  were  of  little  use  in  combating  the 
vermin,  which  fiiuilly  disappeared  almost  as  mysteriously  as  they  had  come. 
The  cats  natui-ally  began  to  pine  after  that,  and  they  do  not  seem  to  have 
got  over  it  j^et,  for  a  more  woebegone,  rough-haired,  angular,  crop-eared, 
and  bob-tailed  set  of  quadrupeds  than  these  felines  is  not  to  be  found  out 
of  Bermuda. 

But,  while  having  nominally  a  government  of  their  own,  with  a  minia- 
ture legislature  chosen  from  a  few  property-holders  out  of  a  total  popula- 
tion of  12,000,  the  Bermudas  are  in  reality  a  naval  station  of  Gi'eat  Britain, 
under  the  charge  of  a  military  governor  appointed  by  the  crown.  A  gar- 
rison of  two  regiments  is  permanently  settled  thei'e,  and  the  most  advan- 


THE   BERMUDAS. 


1C5 


tageons  points  bristle  with  fortifications.  On  Ireland  Island  an  artificial 
port  has  been  created  by  a  breakwater,  and  an  extensive  arsenal  exists  for 
repairing  ships-of-war.  There  is  to  be  seen  the  famous  floating-dock, 
towed  from  England  in  1SG9.     It  is  381  feet  in  length  over  all. 

Tlie  reputation  of  Bermuda  is  owing  largely  to  the  circumstance  that 
no  similar  gronp  of  islands  has  been  visited  and  sung  by  so  many  writers 
of  note.  Influenced,  perhaps,  by  the  narratives  of  Captain  Smith  and 
Henry  May,  Shakspeare  laid  the  scene  of  "The  Tempest"  on  a  desert 
island,  and  gave  a  birthplace  to  Ariel  in  the  "still  vexed  Bermoothes." 


FLOATING-DOCK. 


Later,  Edmund  Waller  came  to  Bermuda  with  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  in 
order  to  get  over  his  disappointment  regarding  the  Lady  Dorothy  Sidney. 
He  wrote  a  spirited  poem,  entitled  "  The  Battle  of  the  Summer  Islands," 
describing  a  combat  between  the  Bermudians  and  certain  Ayhales.    Amidst 


1G6 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


TltlNITY     CHURCH,    HAJllLTON. 


considerable  bom- 
bast there  are  a 
few  good  lines  in 
the  poem  ;  but 
the  poet  gave  rein 
to  his  imagina- 
tion, and  pictured 
scenes  whose  like 
can  only  be  found 
amidst  tlie  rank 
growth  of  trop- 
ical vegetation. 
Andrew  Marvell,  the  well  -  known 
secretary  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  has 
also  done  his  share  to  bring  Ber- 
muda into  prominence  by  his  ex- 
quisite lines,  "  The  Emigrants  in 
Bermudas,"  which  show  that  the 
Puritans  were  able  to  compose  ad- 
mirable poetry  as  well  as  give  "apostolic  blows  and  knocks."  In  this 
century,  Tom  Moore,  the  jolly  bard  who  translated  Anacreon,  drifted 
over  to  these  isles  with  a  commission  to  the  Vice-admiralty  Court  in  his 
pocket.  There  was  nothing  Puritanic  about  Moore.  As  soon  as  he 
landed,  he  went  to  making  love  and  weaving  amatory  couplets,  which 
were  probably  no  more  sincere  than  most  of  his  verses;  for,  his  poetry 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  he  records  in  his  prose  that  he  found 
the  ladies  more  susceptible  than  beautiful,  while  the  husbands  also  came 
in  for  a  share  of  unfavorable  criticism.  He  adds, "  The  philosopher  who 
held  tliat  in  the  next  life  men  are  transformed  into  mules  and  women 
into  turtles  might  see  this  very  nearly  accomplished  at  Bermuda."  The 
house  where  Moore  lived,  the  dripping  cavern  he  frequented,  and  the 
ragged  calabash-tree  under  which  he  composed  his  verses,  continue  to  be 
objects  of  rational  curiosity. 

Without  making  comparisons,  whicli  are  said  on  good  autliority  to  be 
odious,  it  may  be  trutlifully  afhrmed  that  the  scenery  of  Bermuda,  althougli 
never  overcoming  one  with  enthusiasm,  is,  however,  alwa3'S  pleasing,  and, 
like  a  choice  work  of  art  or  a  quiet  but  thoughtful  piece  of  music,  has 
the  inestimable  quality  of  improving  on  acquaintance.  Its  charms  are  so 
subtile  that,  before  one  is  aware,  it  has  stolen  an  enduring  place  in  one's 
affections.     I  -liave  seen  islands  far  more  striking  and  magnificent,  which 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


167 


have  gained  scarcely  so  stroiii^  a  hold  upon  my  memory,  or  seemed  to 
invite  the  stranger  to  return  with  such  singular  magnetism.  The  pome- 
granate grows  abundantly,  and  its  brilliant  green  foliage,  starred  with 
the  flame-like  splendor  of  scarlet  blossoms,  forms  one  of  the  most  char- 
acteristic features  in  a  Bermuda  landscape.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  fiddle-tree  and  the  geranium;  while  the  oleander,  growing  in  lofty 
groves,  and  festooned  with  wonderful  masses  of  crimson-and-white  flow- 
ers, often  imparts  regal  beauty  to  the  rui-al  roadside.  Variety  is  also 
given  to  the  flora  by  the  interweaving  of  the  tamarind,  the  red  cedar,  the 
century-plant,  the  Surinam  cherry,  the  grape-fruit,  the  banana,  and,  wav- 
ing majestically  over  all,  the  queenly  palm,  a  bronze-like  shaft  lithely 
swaying  in  the  sea-wind  and  crowned  by  an  undulating  crest  of  emerald 
plumes.     The  mangrove  is  abundant  in  the   coral  coves,  its  snake-like 


^l^k^^M-^^ 


^ckA''       _    , 


mooue's   calabash-tbee. 


branches  twisted  together  most  inextricably  over  the  water,  and  foi-ming 
green  coves,  where  the  dreamer  may  suppose  sea-fairies  dwell,  if  he  be  so 
minded. 

The  scientist  would  probably  tell  us  that  there  are  no  such  things  as 
fairies,  that  this  scenery  and  these  trees  have  higher  uses  than  to  please. 


168 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


and  would  direct  us  rather  to  turn  to  a  serious  consideration  of  the  inter- 
esting geological  phenomena  of  the  islands ;  and,  as  he  has  got  us  by  the 


VII- W     FIfOM     LK.IIl    111)1  Nt 


button-hole,  and,  like  the  Ancient  Mariner,  is  bound  to  repeat  his  story,  we 
must  listen  a  few  minutes  while  he  tells  us  that  the  soil  is  very  thin,  and 
of  a  red  color;  that  it  is  already  overworked,  and  constantly  demands  fer- 
tilizers ;  and  tliat  it  is  but  a  sparse  stratum,  deposited  in  the  course  of  long 
ages  on  a  limestone  basis.  The  most  notewortliy  characteristic  of  the  Ber- 
mudas, in  the  opinion  of  the  afoi'esaid  scientist,  is  their  formation.  Orig- 
inally they  were  nothing  but  reefs  of  coral.  Gradually  the  central  portions 
arose  above  the  sea,  and  then  the  surf,  beating  on  the  outer  coral  ledges, 
M'Ore  them  into  sand,  M'hich  was  washed  up  on  the  higher  parts.  Exposure 
to  the  weather  of  an  ocean  celebrated  for  the  inhospitable  treatment  it 
extends  to  those  who  court  its  acquaintance  had  a  hardening  tendency, 
such  as  the  human  character  undergoes  when  lashed  by  oft-repeated,  long- 
continued  adversity ;  and  these  heaps  of  loose  sand  became  indurated  into 
limestone.  Nor  is  the  process  yet  complete ;  it  is  still  going  on  along  the 
southern  coast,  where  limestone  in  the  various  stages  of  formation  may 
])e  seen,  from  hard  rock  to  softer  masses  like  cheese,  and  mere  shifting 
hills  composed  of  the  disintegrated  coral  washed  up  by  tlie  latest  storm. 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


1C9 


These  islets  number  one  Imndred,  with  a  large  flock  of  nameless  rocks. 
The  main  group  forms  a  chain  shaped  like  a  fish-hook,  from  St.  George's 
Island  to  Ireland  Island,  and  connected  by  causeways.  On  tlie  northern 
side  they  are  liedged  in  by  a  remarkable  coralline  reef  extending  in  a 
semicircle  completely  across,  subtending  the  arc  of  the  bay  lying  between 
these  two  islands,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  the  Bermudas  are  in  the  highest  latitude  in  which  coral  insects  buihl 
in  tlie  form  of  rocks.  In  heavy  weatlier  this  immense  barrier  is  cruelly 
terrible,  beaten  by  an  unbroken  mass  of  raging  breakei-s.  As  there  is  but 
one  passage  by  wliich  it  can  be  entered,  it  serves  as  an  impenetrable  che- 


COTTAGE    AND    GARDEN     IN     HAMILTON. 


val-de-frise  against  all  ships  of  the  enemy.  There  is  a  fine  light-house  on 
Gibbs  Hill,  362  feet  above  the  sea,  and  visible  twenty-five  miles.  They 
need  another  one,  and  came  to  that  conclusion  a  long  time  ago.     But  as 


170 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


time  is  the  cheapest  thing  going  in  a  place  like  Bermuda,  it  is  well  to  em- 
ploy a  good  supply  of  it  in  everything  that  is  undertaken  there.     It  costs 


A    STREET    SCENE    IN    HAMILTON — THE    WHARF. 


nothing,  while  linrry,  money,  labor — these  things  cost;  and  therefore  this 
additional  light-house  will  not  be  erected,  probably,  before  the  year  1900. 

The  islands,  in  a  direct  line,  are  but  hfteen  miles  in  length,  and  never 
over  two  miles  broad,  and  generally  very  nnich  narrower,  and  excessively 
cut  up  with  creeks  and  bays ;  and  yet  they  gi\e  an  impression  of  a  much 
larger  area— to  such  a  degree  as  almost  to  come  within  the  definition  of 
an  illusion.  The  surface,  nowhere  over  250  feet  high,  is  always  undulat- 
ing ;  and  thus  one  will  often  find  himself  in  a  little  sylvan  hollow  sur- 
rounded by  hills  so  steep  as  to  give  the  impression  of  considerable  eleva- 
tion :  they  are  clothed  with  cedar  groves.  On  the  intervening  meadow- 
lands  lies  perchance  a  little  pool  surrounded  by  attractive  farm-houses  and 
gardens,  and  a  chnrch-spire.  One  could  easily  imagine  himself  in  some 
New  England  vale  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  sea,  w^ien  a  turn  in  the 
road  reveals  the  ocean  only  a  few  score  yai'ds  away ;  and  the  illusion  is 
heightened  by  the  numerous  admirable  roads  running  in  every  direction. 
A  penal  settlement  existed  until  recently  in  Bermuda,  and  the  convicts 
were  employed  to  hew  out  of  the  rock  120  miles  of  carriage-roads.     The 


THE  BEEMUDAS. 


171 


question  is,  "  If  these  men  had  not  sinned,  would  these  roads  have  been 
constructed;  and  what  would  the  islands  be  without  these  roads?"  "  Wliat- 
ever  is,  is  right,"  says  Pope.  Not  a  bit  of  it !  But  in  Bermuda  let  us 
throw  casnistry  and  physic  alike  to  the  dogs. 

Hamilton  is  a  charming  little  town,  doing  its  best  to  emnlate  otlier 
English  colonies  by  maintaining  an  insular  aristocracy,  and  feels  as  im- 
portant as  if  it  had  twelve  hundred  thousand  instead  of  twelve  hundred 
souls.  Better  than  all,  there  is  a  poetic  element,  a  narcotic  property,  in 
the  air  which  invests  it,  that  makes  one  forget  that  New  York  is  so  near 
at  hand,  struggling  under  the  burdens  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The 
pretty  cottages  in  the  neighborhood,  embowered  in  flowers,  are  very  invit- 
ing, and  seem  to  offer  a  nearly  perfect  combination  of  rural  and  domestic 
attractions. 

Of  St.  George's  I  cannot  speak  so  favorably.  It  seems  to  present 
the  decay  without  the  picturesqueness,  the  decrepitude  without  the  re- 
spectability of  old  age,  and  the  neighboring  shores  are  less  inviting.  On 
St.  David's  Island,  in  the  port,  people  are  still  found  who  have  never  been 


sTKEET    SCENE     IN    ST.    GEOKGE  ; 


off  that  little  islet,  and  have  never  seen  a  horse  except  in  a  picture  !     Don- 
keys they  have  seen,  for  the  good  reason  that  dwarf  donkeys  are  found 


172 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


everywhere  in  Bermuda,  trotting  in  front  of  niiniatare  carts.  St.  George's 
was  a  noted  rendezvous  for  blockade-runners  during  our  civil  war,  and 
the  depression  into  which  it  has  fallen  is  proportioned  to  the  feverish  pros- 


THE     DEVIL 


perity  of  tliat  period.  It  may  be  added  here  that  the  oft-repeated  story 
of  the  enterprising  hero  wlio  made  several  trips  from  Charleston  to  Ber- 
muda, carrying  a  ton  of  cotton  across  each  voyage  in  an  open  boat,  has 
no  foundation  in  fact. 

The  two  pleasantest  spots  in  Bermuda  are  Harrington  Sound  and 
Fairy-land.  The  former  is  a  salt-water  lake,  or  estuarj',  surrounded  by 
cavernous  shores,  and  over  its  delicate  green  water  hovers  the  poetic  pin- 
tail, reflecting  on  its  downy  white  breast  the  emerald  tint  of  the  sea.  The 
Walsingham  and  Joyce  caves  in  the  vicinity  are  well  worth  visiting,  al- 
though the  beautiful  pendant  stalactites  hanging  from  the  Gothic  vaults 
are  gradually  falling  before  the  blows  of  visitors,  and  blackened  by  the 
smoke  of  the  bushes  burned  to  light  up  the  gloom  of  the  interior.  The 
Devil's  Hole  is  also  a  spot  where,  for  an  extravagant  fee,  one  may  have 
his  curiosity  relieved  by  looking  into  a  pit  filled  with  sea-water  through 
a  subterranean  channel.  •  It  is  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall,  carefully 
protected  by  a  vast  quantity  of  broken  glass,  although  it  is  difficult  to 


THE   BERMUDAS. 


173 


imagine  any  one  so  infatuated  by  curiosity  as  to  try  to  scale  a  high  wall 
in  order  to  look  into  a  pool.  But  there  is  no  glass  wasted  in  Bernnuda. 
The  walls  are  everywhere  so  plentifully  guarded  by  a  frightfully  jagged 
edge  of  broken  bottles  as  to  lead  the  stranger  to  think  it  must  be  a  very 
insecure  place  to  live  in.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the  color  of  the  water 
at  the  Devil's  Hole  is  of  the  most  exquisite  cobalt  hue,  shading  off  into 
emerald  and  brown  in  the  shadows,  and  the  azure  angel-fish  it  contains 
are  equally  beautiful. 

Fairy-land  is  topographically  the  most  attractive  spot  in  Bermuda,  and 
should  therefore  be  visited  last.  Art  has  done  little  for  it,  and  Nature  a 
great  deal.  The  main  island  is  here  cut  up  most  marvellously  into  cove 
and  bay,  isthmus  and  peninsula,  like  the  bits  of  a  puzzle-map,  and  the 
coves  are  in  turn  studded  with  green  islets,  reposing  in  magical  beauty  on 
a  summer  sea.  I  know  of  no  country  villa  more  admirably  situated  than 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Stowe,  who  courteously  allows  visitors  to  walk  over 
lier  grounds.  Near  Fairy -land  is  Spanish  Point,  a  picturesque  rock,  with 
a  very  fine  bit  of  marine  foreground,  complete  and  lovely  of  its  kind ;  and 
beyond  this  point  is  a  sea-cave  reserved  as  a  bathing-house  for  the  ladies 
of  the  governor's  family.  It  seems  hollowed  out  on  purpose  for  Amphi- 
trite  and  her  Nereids. 


CAVES     ON     THE     COAST. 


The  admirable  facilities  for  boating  at  Berniuda  naturally  cause  great 
interest  in  yachting.     There  is  a  yacht-club,  and  the  Bernmda  yachts  have 


174 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


more  than  a  local  reputation.  The  boats  are,  however,  built  on  principles 
that  have  been  exploded  by  the  latest  practice.  They  are  a  curious  com- 
bination of  some  of  the  opposite  qualities  of  English  and  American  yachts 


RAVINE    ON     SOUTU    SUOllE,    BEUMUUA. 


at  the  time  of  the  famous  international  race  in  1851.  They  have  great 
beam,  but  it  is  forward  of  the  centre  ;  and  great  di'anglit,  but  it  is  aft ; 
and  the  keel  runs  up  toward  the  stem.  At  the  same  time  they  depend 
altogether  upon  ballast  for  stability,  and  are  so  heavily  sparred  that  they 
have  to  be  loaded  down  with  a  great  weight.  Tlie  mast  is  also  set  so  far 
in  the  eyes,  and  has  such  a  rake,  that  it  buries  the  bow  in  running,  and 
even  wlien  close-hauled,  thus  checking  the  speed.  The  only  quality  in 
which  they  seem  to  me  to  excel  is  in  going  to  windward.  It  is  affirmed 
that  some  of  them  can  look  up  within  three  points  and  a  half  of  the  wind ; 
but  our  best  sloop-yachts  can  do  the  same  thing.  They  are  Ijuilt  entirely 
of  red  cedar,  scraped  and  varnished,  and  certainly  look  very  coquettish 
and  sauc}''  when  under  press  of  canvas.  The  main-sail  is  triangular,  and 
boats  in  racing-trim  set  masts  tw^ice  the  length  of  the  deck,  and  carry  bow- 
sprits little  short  of  the  length  of  the  keel.  They  have  an  absurd  rule  in 
racing  that  the  main-sail  shall  be  laced  to  the  mast,  and,  blow  high  or 
blow  low,  that  sail  shall  not  be  reduced.  As  many  craft  actually  go  bet- 
ter sometimes  in  a  sea  by  a  judicious  reef  or  two,  even  if  they  can  bear 
more  canvas,  this  system  makes  racing  in  Bermuda  chiefly  a  question  of 


THE   BERMUDAS. 


175 


foolliardiness,  rather  than  of  judgment  founded  on  a  knowledge  of  what 
each  yacht  can  do  under  given  circumstances. 

I  saw  a  race  in  the  Great  Sound.  It  had  been  announced  for  a  long 
time.  The  two  semiamiual  yacht-races  are  great  events,  and  my  expecta- 
tions were  proportionately  elevated,  especially  as  the  Bermuda  Yacht  Club 
is  under  the  distinguished  patronage  of  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh,  and  the  vice  patronage  of  the  governor,  four  major-generals, 
two  admirals,  and  a  vice-admiral.  It  seemed,  therefore,  rather  a  coming 
down  to  find  that,  although  every  craft  that  could  float  was  on  hand,  and 
almost  every  one  in  the  town  turned  out  to  see  the  sport  and  picnic  on  the 
islands,  there  was  to  be  notliing  in  the  race  measuring  over  ten  tons,  and 
only  seven  entries  for  the  first  and  second  races,  while  only  five  yachts 
actually  competed,  and  two  of  these  were  but  sixteen-feet  length  of  keel. 
As  usual,  also,  in  Bermuda,  there  was  so  little  punctuality  showai  in  getting 
on  the  ground,  or  rather  on  the  water,  selected  for  the  race,  although  there 
was  a  fresh  and  favorable  breeze,  that  the  second  race  had  to  be  postponed. 


PITTS     BAY. 


The  quay  of  Hamilton  looked  very  lively  as  party  after  party  came 
down  to  the  water,  followed  by  negro  attendants  bearing  baskets  of  pro- 
visions and  suspicious-looking  bottles,  to  embark  in  the  jaunty  boats  wait- 


176  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

ing  impatiently,  with  streamers  flying  and  main-sails  set,  chafing  like  spir- 
ited steeds.  One  by  one  tlie  boats  received  their  live  freight,  the  jibs  were 
hoisted,  and  heeling  over  to  a  spanking  breeze  out  of  the  west,  they  shot 
down  the  bay,  their  swelling  sails  gleaming  snow-like  on  the  purple  sea  as 
they  threaded  the  tortuous  channels  among  the  islands,  like  a  long  proces- 
sion of  swans.  The  racing  yachts  really  looked  like  things  of  life,  newly 
scraped  and  varnished,  spreading  a  cloud  of  new  canvas,  and  burying  their 
lee-rails  as  they  started  off  with  a  bone  in  the  mouth.  They  were,  howev- 
er, not  sailed  by  the  owners,  but  by  negro  skippers  and  crews,  the  owners 
looking  on  from  other  boats,  which  seemed  to  me  very  much  like  dancing 
in  the  Orient,  the  dancers  being  professionals  hired  for  the  occasion,  while 
the  host  and  his  guests  look  on,  instead  of  dancing  themselves.  After  the 
racers  had  started,  all  the  other  boats  landed  their  parties  on  the  neighbor- 
ing islands  to  dine.  A  more  lovely  day  or  a  more  charming  scene  could 
hardly  be  imagined.  The  sea-wind  inspirited  one  like  an  elixir,  and,  as 
we  sat  under  the  trees  taking  our  luncheon,  listening  to  the  musical  play 
of  the  surf  on  the  beach,  and  the  breeze  in  the  leaves  overhead,  and  gaz- 
ing on  the  reach  of  lovely  azure  sea  beyond,  and  the  sails  dotting  the  dis- 
tance, we  did  not  in  the  least  envy  the  lotos-eaters.  When  the  racers  were 
on  the  home-stretch  to  the  stake-boat,  every  one  turned  out  again  to  see 
them  come  in.  The  scene,  as  they  gibed  and  rounded  the  goal,  was  very 
exciting;  for  there  was  a  stiff  breeze,  the  shifting  ballast  had  to  be  carried 
over  very  rapidly,  and  the  danger  of  capsizing  with  such  a  press  of  canvas 
was  very  considerable.  The  third  yacht  yielded  to  the  sudden  pressure, 
as  she  took  the  wind  on  the  starboard  quarter,  and  gracefully  but  rapidly 
lurching,  filled  and  went  down  like  lead,  with  six  men  on  boai-d.  But  one 
by  one  they  bobbed  up  again  like  burnt  corks,  and,  grappling  with  other 
boats,  were  soon  out  of  danger  of  waves  and  sharks. 

Many  varieties  of  birds  frequent  the  Bermudas,  generally  such  as  are 
found  in  our  woods — the  cat-bird,  the  robin,  the  bluebird,  the  scarlet  tana- 
ger,  and  the  brown  thrush.  The  beautiful  Virginia  cardinal-bird  is  also 
very  common.  The  variety  and  number  of  singing-birds  is  indeed  one  of 
the  most  pleasing  characteristics  of  the  island.  But  game-birds,  or  game 
of  any  sort,  are  too  scarce  :for  mention.  The  sport -loving  Englishman 
finds  this  a  hardship  which  he  overcomes  by  artificial  means.  The  reader 
may  remember  Hughes's  description  of  the  game  of  hare-and-hounds  in 
his  "  School-days  at  Rugby."  Something  of  this  sort  is  the  fashion  in  Ber- 
muda, and  is  called  a  "  paper-hunt."  Hurdles,  intended  to  be  very  formi- 
dable, are  laid  here  and  there  in  the  otherwise  smooth  fields  and  slopes,  and 
men  are  sent  in  advance  to  scatter  a  trail  of  bits  of  paper.     The  ladies  and 


THE   BERMUDAS. 


177 


gentlemen  privileged  to  belong  to  what  may  be  called  the  Bermuda  Hunt 
assemble  at  a  concerted  rendezvous,  mounted  on  steeds  which  are  certainly 
not  excelling  in  the  points  of  a  thorough-bred,  and  then,  hurry-skurry  over 
Imrdles  and  hedges,  dash  the  hunters,  following  the  pai)er  trail,  until  they 
all  finally  meet  at  a  selected  spot,  where  a  grand  bancpiet  is  served  to  fin- 
ish up  the  bloodless  sport.  Miss  Lefruy,  the  daughter  of  the  governor,  is 
the  Di  Vernon  of  Bermuda. 

The  question  of  meat  and  drink  is  one  which  absorbs  even  more  at- 
tention at  the  islands  than  it  does  elsewhere.     People  nmst  have  liquids; 


INDIA-RUBBER-TREE. 


but,  as  there  are  neither  streams,  wells,  nor  springs  there,  fresh  water  must 
be  caught  from  the  skies ;  and  every  roof  in  Bermuda  is,  therefore,  en- 
listed into  the  service  by  being  tiled  with  limestone  and  whitewashed,  and 
the  rain-water  runs  from  them  into  ample  cisterns.  The  houses  are  con- 
structed of  the  soft  limestone  of  the  islands,  wdiich  can  be  readily  cut  into 
blocks  with  a  handsaw  when  first  quarried,  but  hardens  after  a  few  weeks 
of  exposure  to  the  air.  Beer  is  largely  imported  from  England,  and  once 
a  serious  calamity  seemed  to  overhang  the  devoted  islands,  when  long 
head-winds  kept  back  a  cargo  of  malt  liquors.     Daily,  with  long  faces,  the 

12 


178  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

care-worn  Bermiidians  came  down  to  the  quay  to  inquire  anxiously  if  the 
Sarah  Jane  liad  arrived  yet.  A  while  since,  a  universal  remedy  at  the 
islands  for  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to  was  brandy  and  salt ;  but  it  is 
more  than  suspected  that  the  salt  too  often  came  out  of  the  sugar-bowl. 

Bermuda  potatoes  have  a  wide  reputation  with  us ;  but  if  the  visitor 
to  Bermuda  wishes  to  eat  them  there,  he  must  carry  a  barrel  of  them  with 
him  from  New  York,  for  they  are  all  exported  to  that  city  and  Phila- 
delphia, and  sold  at  high  prices  as  early  potatoes,  while  others  are  im- 
ported from  New  York  at  a  lower  price.  Meat  is  also  imported  fi'om  our 
continent,  and  when  the  transport  loaded  with  beeves  arrives  it  is  a  novel 
sight  to  see  her  land  them.  Mooring  opposite  the  cattle-yards  some  lit- 
tle distance  from  the  shore,  an  inclined  plank-way  is  placed  on  the  deck 
reaching  to  the  bulwarks.  One  by  one  the  oxen  are  let  out  from  the  stalls 
on  deck,  or  hoisted  from  the  hold,  and  permitted  to  walk  up  this  inclined 
plank.  With  immense  satisfaction  that  gives  almost  a  human  expreseion  to 
the  bovine  eye,  the  poor  animal  looks  out  once  more  on  green  fields,  with 
curiosity  toned  by  placid  content,  when  suddenly  a  rope  is  tightened  be- 
hind him  so  violently  that,  nolens  volens,  and  without  the  slightest  chance 
of  resistatico,  he  is  hurled  into  the  sea.  When  he  comes  up  at  last,  almost 
suffocated  with  the  salt-water  he  lias  swallowed,  lie  is  towed  on  shore  by 
two  men  in  a  skiff.  Some  would  call  it  an  entertaining  spectacle  to  see 
a  couple  of  hundred  oxen  treated  in  this  way.  It  Mould  be  ^•ery  amusing 
if  we  could  only  be  sure  that  they  do  not  suffer,  or  that  they  are  destined 
to  some  compensation  for  the  torture  which  they  endure  in  tliis  world, 
under  the  operation  of  the  inscrutable  laws  of  tlie  infinite  wisdom. 

I  returned  to  New  York  in  the  Bermuda  steamer.  We  encountered 
very  heavy  weatlier,  and  one  morning  four  men  were  washed  off  the  main- 
boom  when  reefing  the  main-sail.  Almost  by  a  miracle  they  all  contrived 
to  grasp  hold  of  some  rope  or  spar,  and  were  saved.  The  steamer  was 
loaded  with  tomatoes  and  onions ;  and  as  the  skyliglits  and  companion- 
way  had  to  be  tiglitly  closed,  the  smell  of  the  onions  became  almost  over- 
powering, and  it  was  therefore  with  unwonted  relief  that  I  hailed  the  sight 
of  land. 


BELLEISLE-EN-MEK. 


179 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BELLE  IS  LE-EN-MER. 

BELLEISLE-EN-MEK  is  so  called,  probably,  in  order  to  distinguish 
it  from  a  village  in  the  interior  of  Brittany,  which,  for  some  strange 
reason,  is  called  Belleisle-en-Terre.  Very  few  besides  Frenchmen  have 
heard  of  this  little  island,  and  fewer  still  know  much  about  it,  which  is 
sufficient  cause  for  giving  a  chapter  to  it  here.  It  is  an  islet  about  ten 
miles  long,  off  the  coast  of  Brittany, 
and  my  attention  was  drawn  to  it 
when  I  was  at  Auray.  Every  one 
said  to  me  that  I  ought  by  all  means 
to  visit  Belleisle,  and  as  this  advice 
tallied  exactly  with  my  passion  for 
islands,  it  required  only  about  five 
minutes'  deliberation  to  decide  to  go 
there. 

A  miniature  steamer  of  forty  tons 
plies  daily  between  Anray  and  Belle- 
isle,  winds  and  weather  permitting, 
which  is  a  very  important  proviso 
on  that  bleak,  rock-bonnd,  fog-hid- 
den, and  tempestuous  coast,  and,  con- 
sidering the  extreme  violence  of  the 
sea  sometimes,  especially  in  the  win- 
ter season,  which  was  exactly  the 
time  when  I  took  my  trip.  It  was 
a  gray,  sad  morning  as  the  boat  left 
the  pier  at  Auray,  which  is  surrounded  by  groups  of  exceedingly  pictu- 
resque old  buildings.  We  glided  down  the  Auray  River  into  the  Sea  of 
Morbihan,  a  large  landlocked  bay,  which  receives  the  broad  estuaries  of 
Auray  and  Vannes,  and  is  studded  with  barren,  but  picturesque  and  leg- 
endary isles.     The  scenery  on  the  river-banks  pleased  me  more  than  any 


FISH-WOMEN    OF    THE    MOKBIUAN. 


180 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


landscape  I  saw  in  Brittany.  Oak  woods,  mossy  and  venerable,  and  un- 
touched by  the  axe,  gave  a  bit  of  antique  forest-land  quite  unusual  in 
Northern  France.  It  was  entertaining  to  see  the  fishing  and  market  boats 
rowed  and  sailed  by  women,  rough,  stout,  and  rosy,  sometimes  a  httle 
touched  with  liquor,  and  proportionately  jolly,  and  with  only  one  man  at 
most  on  board. 

I  may  mention  here  that  throughout  Brittany,  owing  to  the  conscrip- 
tion, the  exodus  of  young  men  to  Paris,  or  other  causes,  the  women 
may  be  seen  in  the  majority  everywhere,  and  in  almost  all  departments 
of  trade.  What  we  call  women's  rights  have  been  practically  adopted 
in  France  for  centuries,  the  constant  wars  having  drained  the  supply  of 
men.     The  result  has  been  not  so  much  what  it  is  claimed  it  would  be 


CiEoAR's    TABLE,   OR     TABLE    OF    THE    MERCHANTS,    LOCMARIAQUER. 


if  women  should  obtain  what  some  are  pleased  to  call  their  rights — that 
is,  the  general  refinement  and  improvement  of  society — but  rather  the  re- 
verse. I  do  not  blame  women  for  having  to  labor  in  the  fields,  or  fishing 
and  digging  for  oysters,  or  pursuing  any  honest  means  for  gaining  a  live- 
lihood ;  but  I  always  feel  sorry  for  them  wlien  they  are  forced  to  adopt 
vocations  purely  masculine,  which  destroy  the  natural  refinement  and 
beauty  that  are  the  peculiar  traits  of  womanhood. 

We  passed  by  Locmariaquer,  where  some  of  the  most  stupendous 
remains  of  the  Druids  still  exist,  remarkable  even  in  a  country  which 
abounds  with  them  like  Brittany.  One  of  the  largest  of  these  is  a  dol- 
men called  Caisar's  Table,  or  Dol-ar-Marc'liadourien,  which  means  the 
Table  of  the  Merchants  in  Celtic.  After  passing  out  of  the  Sea  of  Moi"- 
bihan,  we  encountered  a  stiff  sou'-west  wind,  but  for  some  distance  were 
protected  by  the  long,  narrow  peninsular  spit  called  Quiberon,  and  the 


BELLEISLE-EN-MER.  Ibl 

adjoining  islets  of  Honat  and  Iledic.  Quiberon  extends  into  the  Atlantic 
like  a  breakwater,  and  is  exposed  to  the  fall  brant  of  all  the  gales  wliich 
beset  that  melancholy  coast.  It  has  acquired  a  terrible  celebrity  for  the 
events  of  which  it  was  the  scene  daring  the  French  Ecvolation.  TJiere, 
June  27th,  1795,  an  English  fleet  landed  a  corps  of  emigres  composed  of 
the  best  blood  of  France,  spared  thus  far  by  the  guillotine.  They  were 
commanded  by  D'llervilly,  and  latterly  by  Sombreuil,  who  was  the  brother 
of  her  who  quaffed  a  goblet  of  human  blood  daring  the  massacre  of  the 
2d  of  September  in  order  to  save  her  father's  life.  Sombreuil  arrived 
with  re-enforcements  toward  the  close  of  the  ill-fated  expedition,  in  season 
to  take  command,  and  sacrifice  his  life  for  a  cause  and  an  army  already 
doomed.  The  chouans,  or  peasantry,  flocked  to  the  royal  standard,  and  a 
force  of  ten  or  twelve  thonsand  men  was  soon  collected,  which  would  have 
swelled  to  a  large  array  but  for  the  incompetency  of  D'llervilly.  Much 
precious  time  was  wasted,  and  when  the  royalists  were  at  last  ready  to 
move,  Iloche,  the  ablest  general  of  the  Eevolntion,  appeared,  and,  by  a 
series  of  masterly  movements,  hemmed  in  the  invading  army,  and  forced 
them  back  on  Quiberon,  wliere  they  were  caught  as  in  a  trap.  The  fail- 
ure of  concerted  movements,  caused  partially  by  lack  of  confidence  in  the 
royalist  general,  resulted  in  tlie  defeat  of  the  emigres  near  Fort  Penthievre, 
after  heroic  efforts.  Treachery  did  the  rest.  Fort  Penthievre,  the  key 
to  Quiberon,  was  given  up  by  traitors,  A  heavy  gale  was  blowing  when 
Iloche  made  tlie  final  attack,  which  drove  the  ill-fated  royalists  to  the 
extremity  of  the  peninsula,  and  while  some  were  able  to  escape  to  the 
English  fleet,  many  perished,  dashed  against  the  rocks,  in  that  fearful 
nio'ht  when  nature  seemed  to  combine  with  man  to  increase  the  horrors 
of  fratricidal  war.  Nothing  was  left  but  to  surrender  or  fight  to  the 
last  man.  Sombreuil,  who  was  in  command  after  the  fall  of  D'llervilly 
and  the  dastardly  flight  of  Puisaye,  the  next  in  command,  advanced  be- 
yond the  lines  and  held  a  parley  with  Iloche.  A  surrender  was  agreed 
upon. 

Tallien,  the  member  of  the  Assembly  who  had  been  detailed  by  the 
Government  to  be  present  to  give  his  sanction  to  the  proceedings  at  the 
expected  surrender,  then  returned  to  Paris  with  General  Iloche,  after 
having  given  his  acquiescence  to  counsels  of  mercy.  But  there  the  coar- 
age  of  both  these  men  gave  way  in  face  of  rumors  concerning  their  luke- 
warmness  or  infidelity  to  the  cause.  "With  a  perfidy  which  is  but  partially 
palliated  by  the  state  of  affairs,  when  to  be  suspected  was  to  be  condemned, 
they  both  abandoned  the  prisoners  of  Quiberon  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  Jacobins,  Tallien  even  descending  so  low  as  to  suppress  an  appeal 


182 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


he  had  made  in  favor  of  mercy,  and  to  urge  the  execution  of  the  whole 
number.  The  Assembly  sent  orders  that  all  over  sixteen  years  of  ao-e 
should  be  shot.  The  executions  were  superintended  by  a  tiger  named 
Lamoine,  and  took  place  simultaneously  at  Vannes,  Auray,  and  Quiberon. 
Every  day  at  noon,  for  thirty  days,  the  unfortunate  captives  were  taken  out 
by  thirties  and  by  forties,  ranged  facing  a  deep  trench,  and  shot,  and  as 
they  fell  in  the  trench  they  were  left,  whether  alive  or  dead,  and  the  dogs 
were  allowed  to  pick  their  bones.  Many  atrocities  accompanied  these 
wholesale  executions.  The  number  murdei-ed  is  not  certainly  known,  but 
it  was  not  less  than  three  thousand,  and  by  some  it  has  been  placed  much 
higher. 

On  getting  abreast  of  the  Teignoiise  Light,  in  the  channel  between  the 
rocks  on  which  it  is  perched,  and  the  reefs  which  skirt  the  little  islands 


LE    PALAIS,    BELLEISLE. 


of  Ilouat  and  Iledic,  we  encountered  a  most  tremendous  and  irregular 
sea,  for  which  this  spot  is  noted  when  the  tide,  undertow,  and  sea-waves 
conflict  with  each  other.  A  very  stiff  breeze  was  blowing,  and  the  little 
steamer,  although  buoyant,  buried  herself  in  a  w^ay  astonishing  to  behold. 
They  made  sail  on  her  as  soon  as  possible  to  keep  her  steady,  and  stood 
away  to  the  eastward,  taking  the  sea  more  abeam,  until  we  got  under  the 
lee  of  Belleisle,  when  we  came  to  on  our  course,  and  arrived  at  Le  Pa- 
lais, the  chief  place,  toward  night.  I  stepped  ashore  with  the  proud  con- 
sciousness of  being,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  the  first  American  traveller 
who  ever  landed  on  the  island. 

When  I  reached  the  Hotel  de  France,  I  was  charmed  to  find  a  neat, 
cheerful  hostel,  and  that  an  excellent  dinner  was  on  the  point  of  being 


BELLEISLE-EN-MER.  183 

served.  The  landlord,  a  man  of  fair  average  iutelligenoe,  but  ignorant, 
like  most  Frenclimen,  of  any  other  country  besides  his  own,  gave  me  a 
cordial  reception,  and  said  to  me, 

"Are  you  an  Englishman  V 

"No,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  an  American." 

"Ah,  indeed!  And  how  did  you  come  from  America?  Did  you 
come  by  rail  ?" 

"  No,  the  railroad  is  not  yet  built,"  I  answered ;  "  so  I  had  to  come  by 
steamer." 

tie  did  not*  seem  at  all  abashed  by  my  reply,  feeling  probably,  like 
many  of  his  countrymen,  that  what  he  did  not  know^  was  not  worth  know- 
ino- ;  in  fact,  he  did  not  seem  at  all  aware  what  an  absurd  question  he  had 
asked.  Nor  was  I  surprised  that  he  should  ask  it,  as  it  is  the  most  com- 
mon thing  in  the  world  to  find  astonishing  ignorance  among  Europeans 
regarding  America,  even  on  the  part  of  educated  people. 

Le  Palais  is  situated  on  a  long,  narrow  port,  protected  by  a  mole,  and 
inaccessible  at  half  tide ;  but  the  inner  port  is  always  provided  by  flood- 
gates with  water  for  vessels  of  moderate  size.  The  entrance  and  the 
whole  land  side  of  the  town  are  admirably  fortified  by  massive  walls  and 
bastions,  designed  by  Yauban.  Ships  of  any  size  can  ride  in  the  roads 
in  the  heaviest  weather.  Le  Palais  is  entirely  a  modern  town,  having 
been  built  chiefly  during  or  since  the  time  of  Louis  XIII.  But  the  island 
has  a  history  dating  back  to  the  earliest  periods.  It  was  originally  cov- 
ered with  forests,  and  governed  by  the  Druids,  wlio  left  important  monu- 
ments, most  of  which  have  been  destroyed.  At  one  time  Belleisle  was 
an  appanage  of  Fouquet,  the  famous  prime  minister  of  Louis  XIY. 

The  chief  business  of  the  island  has  always  been  the  fishery  of  sar- 
dines. During  the  season,  which  is  in  summer,  many  fishermen  from  the 
main-land  flock  to  the  island,  and  near  a  thousand  boats,  large  and  small, 
are  engaged  in  laying  the  nets.  The  fish  are,  for  the  most  part,  cured 
at  Le  Palais.  Besides  these  boats,  a  number  of  extremely  picturesque 
chasses-niarees,  or  two-masted  luggers,  admirably  efi^ective,  whether  on  the 
gray-green  sea  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay  or  in  a  marine  painting,  are  owned 
at  Belleisle,  and  are  engaged  all  the  year  round  in  dragging  for  turbot 
and  lobsters.  The  ship-yard  at  the  head  of  the  port,  where  these  luggers 
are  built,  is  attractively  picturesque,  under  a  hill,  and  shaded  by  a  grove 
of  lindens,  leading  to  a  public  promenade. 

Everything  here  is  in  miniature,  and  there  is  little  of  tlie  very  strik- 
ing or  impressive  character  belonging  to  many  of  the  Atlantic  isles.  In 
a  week  one  can  see  it  all,  and  yet  there  is  a  certain  nameless  charm  about 


184  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

it  which  is  both  novel  and  piquant,  while  the  cliffs  on  the  southern  coast 
are  often  very  wild  and  grand.  The  climate  in  winter  and  spring  is 
milder  even  than  that  of  tlie  main-land  of  Brittany,  besides  being  more 
free  from  fogs,  more  sunny,  more  bland.  For  an  invalid  nothing  can 
be  imagined  more  agreeable  or  soothitig  than  some  of  the  cheerful  sunny 
days  of  charming  little  Belleisle  during  two  or  three  seasons  of  the  year. 
The  prevalence  of  easterly  or  land  winds  and  absence  of  shade  in  sunnner 
make  it  rather  warmer  than  is  generally  the  case  on  islands,  although 
quite  bearable  in  that  latitude,  while  the  line  beaches  on  the  north-eastern 
coast  aiford  excellent  bathing -places,  much  resorted  to  by  those  from 
France  whose  means  or  tastes  lead  them  to  avoid  Boulogne  or  Biarritz. 

The  island  is  divided  into  four  parishes:  Le  Palais,  Port  Philippe, 
Bangor,  and  Locmaria.  Each  of  the  three  country  parishes  has  a  nucleus 
where  the  parish  church  stands,  and  collects  around  it  tlie  peasantry  on 
fete-days  and  Sundays.  Besides  this  nucleus,  the  houses  of  each  parish 
are  scattered  in  little  knots,  or  hamlets,  of  five  to  ten  houses,  a  quarter  to 
half  a  mile  apart ;  I  counted  at  one  time  fourteen  within  a  radius  of  a 
mile  and  a  half.  Port  Philippe  alone  numbers  thirty-five  of  these  minia- 
ture villages.  At  this  place  is  a  harbor  with  a  mole  and  light-house.  A 
beautiful  valley  continues  across  the  island  from  tliis  little  port  to  Point 
Stervrose,  a  small  peuinsula,with  a  narrow  bay  on  one  side,  called  the  Port 
Vieux  Cluiteau,  where  the  largest  ships  can  ride  at  any  tide,  but  evidently 
more  impracticable  in  our  day  than  in  the  time  of  the  Roman  conquest, 
owing,  possibly,  to  a  change  in  the  prevailing  winds.  The  plateau  of  this 
peninsula  has  from  very  early  times  been  called  the  "  Camp  of  the  Ro- 
mans." Before  the  invention  of  cannon  it  could  afford  an  impregnable 
position  for  5000  or  6000  men — say,  a  legion.  On  the  sea  side  tlie  cliffs 
fall  vertically  over  100  feet  everywhere,  while  the  land  side  is  protected 
by  a  rampart  and  trench  extending  entirely  across,  perl laps  200  yards;  it 
is  excellently  preserved,  and  there  is  little  question  of  its  Roman  origin. 
The  coast-line  from  Point  des  Paulins  westward  to  Locmaria  on  the  east  is 
very  impressive,  generally  perpendicular,  presenting  some  very  remarkable 
rocks  and  cliffs,  and  a  notable  soiiffieuse  near  Vieux  Chateau.  The  isl- 
anders graphically  call  the  south-western  shore,  where  the  surf  breaks  all 
the  year  round  on  the  cliffs,  "  La  Mer  Sauvage."  Mr.  Ruskin  has  some- 
where inveighed  sevy  severely  against  such  artists  as  have  dared  to  present 
a  precipice  as  actually  vertical,  or  sometimes  overhanging,  asserting,  in 
his  usual  dogmatical  and  vehement  manner,  that  such  cliffs  never  occur, 
and  are  impossible  in  nature.  Those  who  know  his  style  can  easily  im- 
agine to  what  depths  of  infamy  he  consigns  the  artist  who  has  been  thus 


BELLEISLE-EN-MEU.  185 

o-uilty  of  what  this  critic  considers  falsehood.  Often  have  I  thought  of 
this  passage  in  my  wanderings,  when  I  have  seen  instances  which  prove 
that  in  this  case,  as  sometimes  in  others,  Mr.  Ruskin's  statement  must  be 
taken  as  having  more  rlietoric  than  truth  in  it.  With  a  perpendicuhir 
line  for  comparison,  I  have  repeatedly  proved  that  it  is  possible  for  cliffs 
to  be  both  vertical  and  overhanging.  At  Belleisle  I  saw  the  head  of  a 
sea  precipice  overhanging  its  base  in  several  places,  notably  at  the  Port 
Vieux  Chateau. 

In  Bangor,  near  the  edge  of  the  cliffs,  stands  a  light-honse,  soaring  165 
feet  from  the  ground  and  302  feet  above  the  sea,  constructed  in  the  most 
massive  and  careful  manner,  and  lighted  by  a  Fresnel- light  of  the  first 
class.  The  lantern  is  tinished  on  tlie  interior  with  polished  slabs  of  varie- 
gated marble.  It  is  worth  a  visit  to  Belleisle  to  see  this  light-house, 
which  is  probably  the  finest  in  existence,  unless  we  except,  perhaps,  the 
one  at  Cordouan,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gironde,  built  by  Henry  IV.,  if  I 
remember  rightly.     The  French  coast  is  everywhere  very  finely  lighted. 

The  largest  and  most  elegant  homestead  on  the  island  is  owned  by  M. 
Trochu,  brother  of  General  Trochu,  whom  he  strongly  resembles.  They 
are  both  natives  of  Belleisle.  The  house  stands  a  little  out  of  the  town, 
surrounded  by  a  picturesque  wood  of  evergreens.  The  courteous  and 
hospitable  proprietor  is  interested  in  agricultural  progress,  and  devotes 
his  energies  to  raising  early  market  crops. 

My  rambles  about  this  choice  little  isle  were  chiefly  in  a  rather  primi- 
tive two-wheeled  carriage,  accompanied  by  a  chatty,  good-natured  driver, 
who  seemed  to  know  every  one  we  met,  and  was  able  to  call  them  by 
name.  The  peddler,  with  his  leather  leggings  and  pack  of  cloths  and 
ti'inkets  suited  to  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  country  women,  seemed 
to  be  ubiquitous.  I  met  him  on  the  highway,  or  by  the  shore,  or  in  the 
cabaret,  and  found  him,  like  peddlers  generally,  garrulous,  long-winded, 
and  not  likely  to  die  for  lack  of  cheek.  When  unfolding  his  goods  to 
a  bevy  of  rosy,  black-eyed  girls,  his  unlimited  flow  of  words  was  often 
seasoned  with  flattering  remarks  and  jokes  just  broad  enough  to  make 
them  blush  and  giggle  in  the  most  entertaining  manner.  I  met  him  once 
when  I  stepped  intO'  an  aiiberge  in  Bangor  to  snatch  a  bit  of  lunch.  The 
landlady,  a  buxom  widow,  had  two  daughters,  whose  intense  black  eyes, 
raven  tresses,  and  warm  brunette  complexions,  tinged  with  red,  would  set 
an  artist  raving.  They  were  all  having  a  very  merry  time  of  it,  bantering 
over  the  goods  contained  in  the  peddler's  pack.  lie  was  rolling  out  his 
grandiloquent  periods  and  fluent  falsehoods  with  extraordinary  volubility ; 
but  when  I  called  for  a  bottle  of  wine  and  the  necessary  adjuncts  of  a 


186 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


"  pennyworth  of  bread "  and  meat,  lie  developed  a  sudden  and  remark- 
able interest  in  me.     Wliile  the  widow  was  spreading  the  table,  he  left 
his  goods  and  came  and  sat  himself  down  opposite  me  at  the  table. 
"  Monsieur,  if  I  mistake  not,  is  a  traveller  in  our  fair  little  island  ?" 
"  So  it  seems,"  I  replied,  distantly. 

"An   Englishman,  perhaps,  who,  having   the    leisure   and   the    means 
denied  to  so  many,  wisely  devotes  his  intelligent  observation  to  travel  ?" 

I  shrugged  my  shoul- 
ders, as  much  as  to  say, 
"  Have  it  so  if  you  like." 
"  Now,  if  you  are 
looking  about  Belleisle, 
monsieur,  allow  me  to 
assure  you  that  I  am 
your  man  if  you  wish 
a  competent  guide,  who 
kno-svs  every  legend,  and 
every  nook  and  cranny 
from  one  end  to  the 
other  of  the  island." 

"  I  am  already  pro- 
vided with  a  guide. 
Jean,  the  driver,  knows 
all  I  want  to  know  about 
Belleisle,  and  he  does 
not  talk  too  much  ;  he 
is  un  brave  garcon." 

Not  abashed  by  this 
rebuff,  he  fetched  a  glass 
unasked,  and  tasted  of 
my  wine.  "  That  is  very 
fair  for  a  vin  ordinaire," 
he  said.  "  I  was  afraid  madame  might  not  have  given  you  her  best  wine." 
Finding  I  could  not  very  well  get  rid  of  a  varlet-who  had  made  np 
his  mind  to  lunch  at  my  expense,  without  causing  "  a  coldness  in  the 
meeting,"  and  rather  enjoying  his  impudence,  and  willing  to  please  the 
hostess,  who  seemed  to  be  kindly  and  polite,  I  called  for  another  bottle 
of  wine  and  a  plate  for  the  peddler,  and  soon  the  conversation  became 
general  and  very  entertaining,  the  widow  and  her  daughters  and  my 
driver  joining  in  the  gossip,  and  a  peasant  or  two  who  were  going  by,  sit- 


1  Li-iAM-GIKL,    BELLtlsLt 


BELLEISLE-EN-MER.  187 

ting  Oil  the  doorstep  or  looking  in  at  the  window,  and  contributing  their 
share  to  the  palaver.  I  noticed  in  them  all,  as  in  the  peasantry  of  Europe 
generally,  simplicity  and  cunning,  gross  ignorance,  and  a  quaint,  crafty 
shrewdness  clashing,  and  curiously  contrasted.  One  thing  I  feel  quite 
certain  of,  and  that  is,  that  country  folk  are  not  as  such  more  honest  than 
other  people,  although  honesty  and  rusticity  are  often  thought  to  be  in- 
terchangeable terms. 

But  the  day  came  which  I  had  set  to  leave  Belleisle-en-mer.  I  was 
called  before  dawn.  It  cost  me  a  struggle  to  keep  to  my  resolution,  for 
it  was  storming  furiously  out  of  the  south-west.  The  wind  was  howling 
over  the  roofs  of  the  little  town,  and  the  rain  was  pelting  the  window- 
panes  ;  nor  did  the  prospect  seem  more  cheerful  as  I  went  down  to  the 
quay  in  tlie  dripping  dimness  of  tlie  early  morning.  Two  steamers  and 
several  ships  were  lying  in  the  roads,  having  run  in  there  to  ride  out  the 
storm  under  the  lee  of  the  island.  Our  little  steamer  was  at  the  mouth 
of  the  port.  It  was  not  for  her  to  consult  winds  and  weather,  when  the 
wind  at  least  was  fair,  for  she  carried  the  mails.  We  rowed  out  to  her 
in  a  small  boat,  and  were  soon  under  way,  and  the  little  island  was 
rapidly  hidden  from  us  in  a  dense  curtain  of  gray  mist.  And  now  we  had 
a  race  with  the  tide.  The  sea  was  running  from  the  south-west,  and,  so 
long  as  the  tide  went  with  it,  was  comparatively  regular,  although  high; 
but  just  so  soon  as  the  tide  should  turn,  the  sea  would  become  tumultuous 
and  dangerous,  especially  in  the  narrow  passage  by  the  Teignouse  Light, 
where  numerous  reefs  and  islets  tend  to  make  the  waves  more  broken. 
We  crowded  on  all  sail  and  steam,  and  passed  the  Teignouse  a  few 
minutes  before  the  tide  turned.  The  tremendous  breakers,  rolling  just 
under  our  lee  on  the  savage,  bristling  reefs,  or  dashing,  high  and  ghostly, 
up  the  sides  of  the  light-house,  were  terrible  and  sublime ;  but  once  in- 
side of  the  rocky  barrier,  we  found  the  water  comparatively  smooth,  and 
glided  rapidly  toward  Auray, 


ISS  THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 

THE  Caroll  packet  steamed  away  from  Tea  Wharf,  Boston  Ilai-bor, 
one  glorious  noon -time  in  August,  bound  to  Charlottetown,  Prince 
Edward  Island.  Having  paid  ten  dollars  in  gold  to  the  International 
Steamship  Company,  the  writer  was  graciously  permitted  to  occupy  a 
state-room  in  the  after-cabin.  Board,  which  was  "fair  to  middling,"  was 
extra  —  a  wise  provision  in  favor  of  sea-sick  passengers,  but  a  doubtful 
economy  in  my  case,  as  I  never  yet  lost  a  meal  at  sea.  Early  on  the  sec- 
ond day  we  sighted  and  passed  near  to  Sambro'  Head,  a  cruel,  iron-gray 
mass  of  granite  off  the  entrance  to  Halifax,  crowned  by  a  light- house 
whicli  is  celebrated  in  naval  annals.  The  port  of  Halifax  is  very  spacious, 
being  really  the  widening  of  an  estuary,  which,  after  winding  some  twenty 
miles,  loses  itself  in  the  woods  of  Nova  Scotia.  This  is  a  noble  sheet  of 
water,  admirably  situated  for  yachting,  to  which  some  attention  is  given 
by  local  yachtsmen.  The  view  of  the  harbor  from  the  fort  behind  the 
city  is  both  extensive  and  beautifid  ;   and  from  the  opposite  village  of 


sambro'    LTGHT. — ENTRANCE    TO     HALIFAX     HARBOR. 


Dartmouth,  Halifax  presents  an  effective  and  pleasing  picture,  as  seen 
in  profile  on  a  hill-side  sloping  to  the  water.  But  a  close  inspection  of  the 
city  does  not  add  to  the  visitor's  interest  in  Halifax.  It  is  one  of  those 
places  which  residents  assure  us  improve  on  acquaintance;  but  it  certain- 


PRINCE  EDWARD   ISLAND.  iSO 

ly  does  not  leave  a  very  favorable  impression  on  tlie  stranger.     Judging 
from  my  own  experience,  he  who  has  seen  it  once  never  wants  to  see  it 


ENTRANCE    TO    STRAIT    OF    CANSO. 


again;  and  he  whom  a  mysterious  Providence  has  directed  hither  a  second 
time,  wonders  wliat  sin  may  have  caused  him  twice  to  realize  the  meaning 
of  the  amiable  exclamation,  "  Go  to  Halifax  !" 

In  the  afternoon  we  steamed  out  again,  and  headed  eastward  for  Can- 
so.  Down  the  savage,  reefy  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  we  scudded  before  a 
sou'- westerly  gale,  accompanied  with  lightning,  and  passed  through  the 
river-like  strait  of  Canso  on  a  fine  breezy  morning,  that  enabled  us  to  see 
to  best  advantage  a  really  beautiful  sheet  of  water.  We  touched  at  Port 
Hawkesbury  a  few  moments — a  village  of  small  houses,  generally  devoid 
of  paint  and  destitute  of  verdure,  and  scattered  about  the  naked  hill-sides 
without  order.  Cape  Porcupine,  on  the  left,  is  a  bold  headland  of  con- 
siderable height.  After  passing  this,  we  came  out  on  the  broad  blue  wa- 
ters of  the  St.  Lawrence,  arriving  at  Pictou  at  noon-time  of  the  third  day 
out.  A  lovely  bay  is  the  bay  of  Pictou.  As  one  enters.  Prince  Edward 
Island  skirts  the  northern  horizon,  a  low,  pale  line ;  nearer  rises  Pictou 
Isle,  red-cliffed  and  wood-tufted.  On  the  left  is  the  spit  lying  in  front 
of  the  port,  sustaining  a  striped  light -house.  In  the  distance,  gray  and 
dream}^,  a  mile  or  two  down  the  bay,  are  the  spires  of  Pictou  topping  the 
slope  of  a  range  of  hills.  From  the  summit  of  these  hills  the  traveller 
who  climbs  them  is  rewarded  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  extensive 
water  views  on  the  continent:  the  broad  bay  of  Pictou,  invading  the  land 
with  many  steel-hued  winding  arms  and  creeks,  and  studded,  in  turn,  with 
islets;  the  flashing  surf  on  the  bar;  the  green  rolling  land  fading  in  a 
golden  haze  inimitably  toward  the  setting  sun ;  the  dark-purple  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  spreading  as  inimitably  toward  the  east,  with  roseate  cliffs 
skirting  the  ofling  like  phantom  islands  —  all  contribute  to  compose  a 


190 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


picture  inexhaustible  in  its  variety  and  the  satisfying  character  of  its  at- 
tractions. 

Pictoii  is  the  seat  of  coal-mines,  and  large  quantities  of  tlie  mineral 
are  exported.     Here  our  steamer  coaled  for  tlie  trip.     A  tunnel  of  iron 


HALIFAX,    FROM    THE    CITADEI,. 


plates  was  fitted  to  the  forward  hatcliway,  and  a  platform  was  lowered 
over  the  liold.  The  cars  were  rnn  out  on  this,  and  through  a  trap-door 
in  the  bottom  of  the  car  the  coal  was  dropped  into  the  vessel.  In  a  few 
hours  we  had  taken  a  hundred  tons  of  coal  on  board,  and  about  three  in 
the  morning  left  Pictou  for  Charlottetown.  At  sunrise  we  lay  in  Hills- 
borough Bay  in  a  dead  calm.  A  light,  low  fog  hovered  on  the  w^ater  di- 
rectly across  the  entrance  to  the  poi't,  and  we  were  forced  to  wait  for  tlie 
sun  to  dispel  it.  We  were  surrounded  by  the  red  cliffs  of  Governor''s,  St. 
Peter's,  and  Prince  Edward  islands,  mirrored  on  the  glassy  surface  of  the 
bay  with  absolute  fidelity,  or  half  lifted  in  the  air  by  a  partial  mirage. 
Here  and  there  a  schooner  lay  idly  over  the  quivering  reflection  of  its  own 
spars  and  sails.  Overhead,  the  sky  was  cloudless  azure,  specked  only  by 
flocks  of  wild-fowl,  and  no  sound  disturbed  the  magical  stillness  of  this 
peaceful  scene  but  the  far-i-eaching,  quavering  cry  of  the  loon  throbbing 
over  the  water. 

On  the  clearing  away  of  the  fog  we  glided  by  the  light -house  on 
Rocky  Point  and  the  wreck  which  lies  close  therebj',  and  Charlottetown, 
witli  the  broad  estuaries  that  branch  away  from  it  for  many  miles  in  three 


PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND.  191 

directions,  under  the  names  of  Noi'th,  East,  and  "West  rivers,  was  revealed 
to  us  in  the  slieen  of  the  morning  sun.  Charlottetown,  in  Queens  Coun- 
ty, the  capital  of  the  island,  is  a  city  of  9000  inhabitants,  on  a  tongue  of 
land  between  North  and  East  rivers.  The  city  was  founded  about  1765, 
on  a  regular  plan.  The  streets  are  of  great  width,  and  are  laid  out  at 
right  angles  to  each  other  on  parallel  lines.  .The  houses  are  generally 
small  and  unpretentious  in  their  appearance, but  neat;  while  in  some  parts 
of  the  city,  along  the  esplanade  and  inland,  past  the  Government  buildings, 
dwellings  of  considerable  taste  and  elegance,  and  embowered  in  shrubbery, 
are  growing  more  numerous  every  year.  The  residence  of  the  governor 
is  a  neat  building,  admirably  situated  at  the  head  of  a  close-shaven  lawn, 
which  slopes  down  to  the  water,  and  flanked  by  the  sighing  pines  of  the 
primeval  forest.  The  present  occupant,  Sir  William  Hodgson,  is  the  first 
native  governor  placed  over  the  island.  He  is  a  hale  old  gentleman  of 
eighty-six — genial,  courteous,  and  capable.  The  other  Government  oifices 
are  situated  on  Queen's  Square,  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  surprise  the 
visitor  by  the  completeness  and  elegance  of  their  construction  and  arrange- 
ment. They  consist  of  a  state-house,  in  which  are  included  the  halls  for 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Houses  of  the  Legislature,  and  other  offices  ;  of  a 
court-house,  just  completed;  and  of  a  post-oftice  which  will  compare  favor- 
ably with  many  of  the  post-ofiices  in  our  larger  cities.  Of  the  manage- 
ment of  the  postal  department,  I  cannot  speak  in  the  same  terms.  1 
found  the  clerks  at  all  the  island  offices  unnecessarily  inquisitive,  and  ca- 
pable of  incredible  blunders.  There  is  also  inexcusable  laxness  in  the  for- 
warding and  care  of  letters  and  mail-bags,  insomuch  that  I  never  felt  sure 
of  receiving  letters  addressed  to  me,  at  least  not  for  long  after  they  were 
due,  or  that  mine  would  reach  their  destination  after  I  had  posted  them. 


LIGHT-HOUSli. — ENTRANCE     TO    FICTOU    PORT. 


That  this  was  not  my  own  experience  alone  was  evidenced  by  the  fre- 
quent complaints  against  the  department  constantly  appearing  in  the  local 
papers.     This  defect  in  the  administration  of  the  Government  supervision 


192 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


is  one  of  serious  and  increasing  importance,  and  demands  immediate  re- 
form. It  is  said  that,  until  within  a  very  few  years,  such  was  the  high- 
handed authority  assumed  by  the  self-styled  upper  classes  of  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island  that  it  was  by  no  means  uncommon  for  letters  to  be  seized 


GOVEKNMENT    UOUSE,    CIIAULOTTETOWN. 


and  examined  by  them  with  no  other  right  than  that  of  the  strongest. 
Under  the  modifying  influences  of  the  Dominion  and  increasing  inter- 
course with  the  United  States,  many  customs  suggested  by  a  colonial  state 
of  things  are  gradually  passing  away  as  obsolete ;  bat  the  divisions  of 
caste,  so  strong  in  England,  and  preserved  with  so  much  more  intensity  in 
all  her  colonies,  are  still  maintained  in  Charlottetown  with  a  rigor  that, 
if  it  were  not  pernicious  and  prejudicial  to  true  social  progress,  would  be 
ridiculous ;  for  whatever  palliation  there  may  be  for  it  elsewhere,  there  is 
none  in  a  place  where  the  richest  are  but  moderately  well  off,  where  in- 
tellectual culture  is  at  a  low  ebb,  where  no  men  of  such  superior  ability 
have  yet  arisen  as  to  found  even  the  only  aristocracy  for  which  there  is 
any  plausible  excuse,  the  nobility  of  moral  and  mental  supremacy. 

The  market,  in  Queen's  Square,  is  a  noteworthy  building.  On  market- 
days — Wednesdays  and  Fridays — the  fai-mers  come  in  from  the  country 
with  provisions  of  every  sort :  provender  for  cattle,  fish  from  the  rivers 
and  the  sea,  homespun  goods,  game,  confectionery,  and  the  like.  These 
are  arranged  in  stalls  in  the  interior,  and  the  towns-people  assemble  to 
purchase  a  stock  of  food  to  keep  them  alive  until  the  next  market-day. 
Around  the  building  wagons  and  carts  are  collected,  loaded  with  hay  or 
lobsters.  It  is  quite  a  lively  and  interesting  scene,  deriving  picturesque- 
ness  from  the  ruddy  complexions  and  flaxen  or  coal-black  tresses  of  the 
buxom  Scotch  and  French  country  lassies,  and  the  tawny,  unkempt  Indian 
squaws  from  Rocky  Point, 

The  churches  of  Charlottetown  have  little  to  boast  of.  The  ritualists 
have  begun  a  chapel  with  a  slant  to  the  roof  so  excessively  steep  as  to 


PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND. 


193 


come  witliin  the  term  "  loud."  Tlie  zeal  of  the  congfegation  is  in  excess 
of  their  funds,  and  the  building  is  at  present  like  a  chapter  to  a  serial 
story  whose  author  is  at  a  loss  to  furnish  material  for  the  next  chapter. 
The  Kirk  are  erecting  a  neat,  commodious  edifice  to  replace  the  present 
sanctuary,  which,  it  is  pleasant  to  report,  is  too  small  for  their  enlarged 
congregation.  The  Methodists  have  the  handsomest  church  in  the  city, 
and  are  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The  Roman  Catholics  worship  in  a 
large,  barn-like  structure  of  wood.  They  are  active,  and  are  spurred  on 
to  increased  architectural  efforts  by  the  bishop,  who,  considering  that  ap- 
pearances have  great  weight  with  a  large  portion  of  unreflecting  mortals, 
has  devoted  his  episcopal  labors  ta  the  increase  of  the  brick  and  mortar 
owned  by  the  Church,  A  costly  residence  for  the  bishop  of  that  com- 
munion and  extensive  buildings  for  convents  and  schools  have  also  been 
erected  recently  at  Tignish  and  Charlottetown,  and  one  is  to  be  reared 
soon  at  Souris.  The  population  of  the  island  is  9^,021,  of  whom  about 
42,000  are  in  Queens  County.  The  number  of  Roman  Catholics  is  40,765. 
The  average  increase  in  Protestants  during  the  last  seven  years  has  been 
IS.S  per  cent. ;  the  increase  in  Roman  Catholics  has  been  13.7  per  cent. 
The  present  free-education  act  was  passed  in  1852;  a  Board  of  Education 
exists,  and  the  entire  cost  of  public  instruction  is  defrayed  out  of  the  gen- 
eral revenue. 


METHODIST    CHURCH    AND    PAST    OF    CHAELOTTETOWN — EAST    BIVER    IN    THE    DISTANCE. 


A  subject  which  has  seriously  agitated  the  island  for  nearly  a  cen- 
tury is  the  land  question.  The  island,  which  is  140  miles  in  length  and 
34  miles  wide,  was  discovered  by  Cabot,  w^ho  called  it  St.  John ;  and 
it  still  retains  that  name  among  the  French  to  this  day.  As  the  Eng- 
lish failed  to  take  possession  of  it  at  the  time  of  discovery,  Verazain 

13 


194 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


claimed  both  the  discovery  and  possession  of  it  for  the  French  in  1523, 
and  it  was  granted  by  them  to  the  Sieur  Daubet,  who,  with  a  company 
of  adventurers,  estabhshed  several  fishing  stations  there.  When  the  Aca- 
dians  emigrated  from  Nova  Scotia,  in  1713,  many  of  them  settled  on  the 
Isle  St.  Jean,  and  a  garrison  was  stationed  at  Port  la  Joie,  now  Charlotte- 
town,  By  the  Treaty  of  Fontaine- 
ff  bleau,  in  1763,  the  island  was  ceded 
to  Great  Britain,  and  received  its 
present  name.  The  victorious  Gov- 
ernment immediately  decreed  a  care- 
ful survey  of  the  island,  and  vari- 
ous plans  for  settling  and  dividing 
the  lands  were  proposed.  Lord  Eg- 
mont,  then  First  Lord  of  the  Ad- 
miralty, devised  a  Utopian  scheme 
to  this  end,  which  was  supported  by 
powerful  influences.  It  was  based  on 
the  theory  that  the  perils  from  the 
Indians  and  other  foes  were  much 
niore  formidable  than  they  actually 
were.  His  memorial  prayed  for  a 
grant  of  the  whole  island, holding  the 
same  as  a  flef  to  the  crown  foi'ever. 
The  two  million  acres,  more  or 
less,  which  the  island  was  estimated 
to  contain,  were  to  be  divided  into 
fifty  parts,  called  baronies  or  hun- 
dreds, forty  of  these  to  be  granted  to  as  many  men  with  the  title  of  Lords 
of  Hundreds,  owing  feudal  allegiance  to  him  as  Lord  Paramount.  These 
baronies  were  in  turn  to  be  subdi\ided  into  manors  of  two  thousand  acres 
each.  Five  hundred  acres  from  each  barony  were  to  be  set  apart  for 
a  township.  Fairs  were  to  be  held  in  each  baronj^  four  times  yearh', 
and  market  twice  weekh'.  Many  other  feudal  regulations  relating  to 
the  judiciary,  and  tlie  building  of  numerous  castles  and  other  matters,  were 
included  in  this  extraordinary  memorial,  which  was  intended  to  transfer 
to  this  side  of  tlie  Atlantic  a  sj'stem  better  suited  to  the  state  of  affairs  in 
the  times  of  King  Alfred  and  William  the  Conqueror,  on  the  supposition 
that  the  island  was  a  place  "  where  the  settler  can  scarce  straggle  from 
liis  habitation  five  hundred  yards,  even  in  times  of  pe'ace,  without  risk  of 
being  intercepted,  scalped,  and  murdered ;"  the  fact  being  that  the  Mic- 


AVENUE     LEADING    TO     GOVEKNMENT     HOl'SE. 


PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


195 


macs,  never  very  nnmerons,  were  quite  inoffensive,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  a 
white  man  ever  lost  his  hair  on  the  island,  except  in  the  natural  way. 

Lord  Egmont's  plan  failed  of  acceptance ;  but  another  scheme  for  di- 
viding the  lands,  which  was  adopted,  was  also  open  to  grave  objections, 
as  proved  by  subsecpient  results.  The  island,  with  some  reservations  for 
fortifications,  churches,  and  other  public  purposes,  was  divided  into  sixty- 
six  lots.  One  lot  was  reserved  for  the  crown ;  the  remainder  were  in  one 
day  awarded  by  ballot  to  as  many  grantees,  who  had  merited  reward  for 
military  or  political  services.  Quit-rents  were  reserved  on  all  these  lots, 
payable  at  the  end  of  ten  years,  it  being  also  stij)ulated  that  each  town- 
ship should  be  settled  within  that  period  by  at  least  one  person  for  every 
two  hundred  acres,  and,  failing  fulfilment  of  the  conditions  by  the  gran- 
tees, the  land  to  be  forfeited.  On  a  petition  b}''  the  proprietors,  the  colony 
was  granted" a  local  government  of  its  own;  but  the  governor  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  king.  Captain  Walter  "Patterson  was  the  first  governor, 
and  the  quit-rents  were  made  payable  at  the  end  of  twenty  years. 

The  conditions  accepted  by  the  grantees,  or  those  to  whom  they  sold 
their  rights  and  grants,  were  in  many  cases  unfulfilled,  and  they  thus  law- 
fully escheated  to  the  crown.  The  acts  of  Governor  Patterson  under  the 
circumstances,  the  action  of  the  home  government,  the  long  struggle,  re- 
sulting in  a  draw^n  battle  between  all  concerned,  form  an  intricate  story. 


MAKKET    BUILDING,    CHARLOTTETOWN. 


too  long  for  repetition  in  these  pages.  But  long  since  the  recall  of  Patter- 
son, during  the  present  generation,  new  difficulties  have  arisen,  resembling 
the  famous  anti-rfint  wars  of  New  York.  Those  w'hom  the  planters  have 
invited  or  permitted  to  settle  on  their  lands  for  certain  rentals  have,  in 


196  THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 

many  cases,  claimed  that  the  rents  were  in  excess  of  the  vahie  of  the 
lands,  or  that  they  had  already  paid  enongh  to  entitle  them  to  hold  the 
lands  they  occnpy  as  freeholds.  The  problem  was  partially  solved  by  the 
2)urchase  of  some  of  the  territory  under  dispute  by  the  colonial  Govern- 
ment, and  selling  it  over  to  the  farmers  under  more  favorable  conditions. 
Since  the  island  entered  the  Dominion,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1873,  the  ques- 
tion has  again  come  up,  and  a  royal  commission  was  appointed  for  the 
appraisal  and  purchase  of  the  large  estates  still  remaining  in  the  families 
of  the  original  owners,  the  sum  of  $800,000  having  been  appropriated  for 
this  purpose  by  the  Dominion  as  one  of  the  conditions  on  which  the  island 
joined  the  confederation.  Thus  far  the  appraisals  seem  to  have  been  fair 
and  impartial,  although,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  inevitably  giving  rise 
to  considerable  discontent  and  hardship  in  some  instances.  It  is  one  of 
those  questions  on  which  much  niay  be  said  for  each  side,  and  with  regard 
to  which  the  public  good  would  appear  to  require  an  act  of  seeming  bad 
faith  on  the  part  of  the  Government.  The  best  good  of  the  largest  num- 
ber is  a  right  to  be  exercised  with  great  caution,  and  the  moral  question 
involved  in  the  consideration  of  the  rights  of  the  minority  is  not  often  re- 
garded with  sufKcient  attention  by  a  ruling  majority. 

Since  Prince  Edward  Island  joined  the  Dominion,  it  has  taken  a  fresh 
start  in  the  march  of  improvement,  and  evidences  of  this  are  everj^where 
seen  in  its  increasing  commerce,  the  growing  value  of  the  fisheries,  the 
many  new  buildings  going  up  in  Chark)ttetown  and  the  environs,  and  the 
new  railroad,  measuring  167  miles  in  length,  and  completed  in  the  year 
1875.  It  is  run  on  a  gauge,  so  narrow  that  only  three  persons  can  sit  in 
the  cars  abreast,  the  seats  being  for  one  and  for  two  persons  alternately  on 
each  side  of  the  car.  The  rolling  stock  was  made  on  the  island,  and  is 
very  creditable.  The  car  windows  are  not  washed  quite  often  enough, 
however.  Ship-building  is  also  in  a  very  thriving  condition.  In  the  vari- 
ous ship-yards  of  Mount  Stewart,  Summerside,  and  Souris,  I  counted  six- 
teen vessels  going  up,  from  seventy-five  to  twelve  hundred  tons,  in  size,  and 
I  heard  of  others  building  at  Fortune  Bay  and  elsewhere  at  the  same  time. 
The  new  tonnage  built  for  export  for  the  fiscal  year  of  1874-'75  amount- 
ed to  $632,440  in  value.  The  total  value  of  the  exports  dui-ing  the  same 
period  was  $1,940,901,  of  which  lumber  was  $105,407;  agricultural  prod- 
ucts, $787,070;  live  stock,  $94,047;  and  fisheries,  $308,037.  Of  the  last 
item  the  United  States  took  $272,620,  and  the  total  exports  to  the  States 
of  the  products  of  the  island  for  the  year  reached  $365,352.  It  is  worthy 
of  mention  that  the  fisheries  of  the  island  and  the  commerce  in  the  same 
are  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  two  enterprising  Americans,  Messrs.  Churchill 


riUNCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


197 


and  Hall.  For  the  same  period  the  total  value  of  the  imports  of  Prince 
Edward  Island  amounted  to  $1,973,222,  the  balance  of  trade  showing  an 
increasing  demand  for  foreign  goods.  It  should  be  added  that  the  foie- 
going  data  are  given  on  a  gold  basis. 

But  one  who  has  been  in  Charlottetown  a  week  or  two  is  not  satisfied 
only  with  the  evidences  of  insular  prosperity  furnished  at  the  Government 
offices  by  the  courteous  and  efficient  servants  of  Her  Majesty,  or  by  the 
pleasant  glimpses  of  farm,  and  river,  and  sea  gained  from  window  and 
roof.  These  very  charming  bits  of  nature  only  serve  to  tempt  the  visitor 
to  sally  forth,  and,  in  carriage  or  boat  or  by  rail,  to  view  for  himself  the 
exquisite  beauty  of  the  island,  and  the  proofs  offered  on  every  hand  of 
its  thriving  condition,  as  well  as  the  manifold  attractions  it  offers  to  the 
tourist  and  invalid — in  summer  and  fall,  should  be  added  with  emphasis. 
In  winter,  which  begins  with  November  and  lasts  until  May  sometimes, 
Prince  Edward  offers  special  inducements  to  those  who  enjoy  six  months 
of  snow,  and  unlimited  opportunities  for  sitting  by  the  fireside  o'  stormy 
nights  and  listening  to  the  furious  din  of  sleet  and  hail  beating  against 
the  ringing  panes.  Northumberland  Strait,  which  separates  the  island 
from  the  main-land,  is  frozen  over  from  December  to  April,  or,  rather,  it 
is  filled  with  floating  ice,  which  sometimes  freezes  together  in  a  compact 
mass.     Where  the  strait  is  but  nine  miles  wide,  the  mail  is  carried  across 


CARRYING    THE    MAILS    ACROSS    NORTHUMBERLAND     STRAIT    IN    WINTER. 


every  day  on  the  ice,  sometimes  at  great  hazard.  A  boat  on  ruimers  is 
used  to  carry  the  bags,  serving,  as  the  case  may  require,  either  as  boat  or 
sledge.  The  labor  of  going  over  the  ice-hummocks  is  often  excessively 
laborious.     Travel  is,  of  course,  almost  entirely  stopped  for  the  season.     I 


19S 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


heard  of  one  lady  wlio  went  across  on  the  ice  to  attend  by  the  bed  of  her 
dying  son.  But  in  summer  the  weather  is  moderate  and  equable — more 
equable  than  that  of  the  adjacent  continent.     Vegetation  springs  forwaid 


SCENE    ON     HLNTEU     UIVEU. 


rapidly  after  the  winter  has  fairly  passed  away;  and  the  verdure  on  the 
fields,  including  wild  flowers,  continues  later  than  in  the  New  England 
States.  Fogs,  which  are  common  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  are  very  rare  on  and  around  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island  ;  and  hay  fever,  that  distressing  complaint,  avoidable  only  by 
change  of  locality,  is  unknown  on  that  lovely  isle. 

Steamers  ply  up  the  East  and  West  rivers,  and  an  afternoon  spent  on 
each  of  these  takes  one  through  beautiful  scenery,  and  gives  a  fair  idea 
of  the  characteristic  beauty  of  the  island.  Never  over  five  hundred  feet 
high,  the  landscape  is  rarely  monotonous,  for  in  the  interior  it  is  much 
broken  and  undulating,  while  it  falls  away  toward  the  sea  and  the  bays 
into  gentle  slopes  which  terminate  in  abrupt  red  cliffs  fifty  to  seventy 
feet  high.  The  brilliant  tints — vivid  orange  and  Indian  red — of  the  new 
red  sandstone,  still  in  a  formative  state,  harmonize  admirably  with  the  rich 
ultramarine  of  the  water  and  the  white  trunks  of  the  birch  Avoods,  or  the 
emerald  of  the  natural  lawns  which  gradually  slope  to  the  water,  in  front 


PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


199 


of  neat,  cosy  farm  -  lioiises,  kept  in  good  condition,  and  sheltered  from 
the  winter  gales  by  clumps  of  primeval  fir,  pine,  and  spruce.  Nowhere 
very  striking,  the  scenery  of  these  rivers  is  charmingly  rural  and  pictu- 
resque, everywhei'e  })leasing,  and  offering  quiet  little  bits  tliat  the  artistic 
eye  might  transfer  effectively  to  canvas.  On  Kocky  Point,  opposite  Char- 
lottetown,  is  a  settlement  of  Micmac  Indians,  who  live  by  fishing,  hunting, 
and  barter.  They  are  inoffensive  and  indolent.  But  the  largest  settle- 
ment of  Micmacs,  the  only  tribe  now  on  the  island,  is  at  Lennox  Island, 
in  Richmond  Bay,  which  is  reserved  for  them,  and  there  they  hold  their 
annual  powwows.  Their  number  is  gradually  decreasing,  and  does  not 
now  exceed  three  hundred  and  live.  They  are  in  charge  of  a  special 
commissioner. 

A  delightful  excursion  may  be  made  to  Rustico  from  Chai-lottetown. 
Going  by  rail  to  Hunter  River  Station,  one  finds  himself  at  once  in  a 
beautiful  region  among  hills,  and  glens,  and  wooded  streams.  Thence  a 
carriage  carries  the  traveller  over  farming  country  resembling  some  of 
the  most  beautiful  portions  of  old  England,  by  way  of  Wheatley  River 
to  Rustico  Bay.     On  the  road  I  passed  a  country  school-house  at  recess- 


FISU-IIOUSE    AND    STAGE,    AND     FlSllING-BOATS,    RUSTICO. 


time.  The  children  were  playing  in  the  road,  but  when  thej'  saw  the 
carriage  approaching  they  ranged  themselves  in  a  row,  and  as  I  went  by 
the  girls  courtesied  low,  and  the  lads  bowed  in  the  most  respectful  manner. 


200 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


It  was  a  quaint  and  pleasing  sight,  and  might  be  imitated  by  our  school- 
children with  advantage.  Passing  by  the  French  settlement  and  Roman 
Catholic  church  at  Riistico,  we  jogged  along  to  the  end  of  a  peninsula  that 


FISHING-BOATS    BEATING     INTO    RUSTICO    HARBOR,    BETWEEN    THE    BAR    AND    THE    SPIT:     BATHING-HOUSE    IN    THE    FORE- 
GROUND. 

is  near  the  month  of  the  ba}-.  The  last  part  of  the  way  was  over  a  kelp- 
strewn  beach  which  is  covered  at  high  tide.  There,  on  a  bluff,  I  found 
the  Eustico  House,  admirably  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  spruce  woods. 
Facing  the  bay,  like  a  breakwater,  lies  a  sand-spit  tufted  with  long  salt 
grass.  Opposite  the  hotel  is  the  entrance  into  the  bay.  The  flashing  roll- 
ers of  the  St.  Lawrence  Gulf  break  on  a  bar  across  the  mouth,  and  be- 
tween the  bar  and  the  shore  is  a  narrow,  shallow  channel.  Through  this, 
twice  daily  during  the  season,  the  little  fishing-schooners  of  the  port  pass 
out  to  fish  for  shore  mackerel  and  herring.  It  is  a  very  pretty  sight  to 
watch  a  fleet  of  these  white-sailed  fishermen  dodging  in  and  out  about 
the  bar.  The  fish  are  landed  on  stages  built  out  over  the  water  inside 
the  port.  Outside  of  the  spit,  on  the  sandy  beach,  there  is  excellent  surf 
bathing,  and  bathing-houses  are  also  furnished  to  visitors,  who  enjoy,  in 
addition,  good  boating  facilities ;  and,  of  course,  capital  sport  is  afforded 
for  those  who  love  the  rod  and  the  line.     The  mackerel  fishing  outside 


PRINCE  EDWARD   ISLAND. 


201 


is  exciting  and  novel,  while  the  Hunter  and  Wlieatley  rivers  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  offer  numerous  attractions  to  sportsmen,  especially  in  sea- 
trout  fishing.  The  sea  trout  is  a  fish  peculiar  to  the  waters  of  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  living  in  rivers  or  arms  of  the  sea  which,  influenced  by  tlie 
tides,  are  alternately  salt  and  fresh.  It  is  the  size  of  the  lake  trout,  with 
silvery  skin,  and  pink  flesh  like  that  of  the  salmon.  It  is  caught  with  the 
fly,  and  is  game  for  the  best  sportsmen.  The  season  for  this  fish  is  chiefly 
during  June  and  July,  and  East  River,  near  Charlottetown,  Dunk,  Mo- 
rell,  Winter,  Hunter,  and  Trout  rivers  are  the  streams  in  which  it  is  most 
abundant.  Salmon  is  also  common  in  these  streams;  but  shad  is  scarce. 
All  the  rivers  of  the  island  were  restocked  in  1876,  and  the  Dominion 
fishing  laws  enforced.  Lobsters  are  very  abundant,  and  large  canning 
factories  have  been  established  at  Alberton  and  Souris.  Duck,  snipe,  teal, 
plover,  quail,  and  other  game  are  sufficiently  abundant  to  make  hunting 
attractive,  and  dogs  trained  for  sport  are  common.  Wolves  and  deer,  for- 
merly plenty,  are  now  all  but  extinct ;  but  a  few  beaver  and  otter  are  still 
found:  and  in  the  tangled  depths  of  the  primeval  forests, which  still  exist 
here  and  there,  black  bears  are  quite  numerous,  hibernating  undisturbed 
in  winter,  and  creeping  forth  sometimes  in  summer  to  try  a  fat  slice  out 


FISHING     PAMY. 


of  a  teijder  young  heifer.  Oysters  of  the  finest  quality  abound  in  the 
bays  of  Prince  Edward  Island.  They  are  not  as  large  as  our  largest,  but 
they  make  up  for  size  in  flavor  and  lusciousness.     Bedeque  oysters  from 


202  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Richmond  Bay  are  already  famous,  and  are  sliipped  in  large  quantities  to 
Great  Britain  and  other  parts  of  the  Dominion, 

The  agricultural  products  of  the  island  are  of  less  relative  importance 
than  those  of  its  waters,  yet  they  are  noteworthy.  The  woodlands,  con- 
sisting of  beech,  birch,  maple,  spruce,  and  tir  chiefly,  are  gradually  thin- 
ning out,  while  the  product  of  grain,  and  hay,  and  vegetables,  especially 
jjotatoes,  is  increasing.  Fruits  are  in  a  backward  state,  and  must  always 
remain  more  or  less  so,  owing  to  tlie  lateness  of  the  summers.  The  apples 
are  hard  and  sour  at  best.  Apple-pies  there  must  be  made  according 
to  a  receipt  furnished  by  a  sprightly  young  lady  of  the  island :  "  Put 
in  sugar  as  long  as  your  conscience  will  allow ;  then  shut  your  eyes  and 
throw  it  in  by  handfuls."  Rich  pasture  is  seen  everywhere,  and  the  land- 
scape is  dotted  in  all  directions  with  cattle  and  horses.  As  one  rides  along 
the  roads  and  sees  the  beautiful  horses  and  colts  galloping  or  grazing  on 
every  farm,  he  is  reminded  of  the  Homeric  period  when  Thessaly  was 
famed  for  its  steeds,  and  the  heroes  of  the  Trojan  war  were  styled  owners 
or  tamers  of  fast  horses. 

Returning  to  Hunter  River  Station  over  the  higliest  land  on  the  island 
by  the  very  cliarming  road  tlii'ough  Xew  Glasgow,  the  toui'ist  can  take 
tlie  cars  to  Souris,  at  the  north-eastern  end  of  the  island.  The  railroad 
in  this  direction  passes  through  a  more  level  country,  but  more  savage 
and  melancholy,  because  less  inhabited,  and  presenting  waste  moorlands 
abandoned  to  the  rabbit,  the  grouse,  and  the  bear.  At  Mount  Stewart 
a  branch  of  tlie  road  turns  off  to  Georgetown,  on  Cardigan  Bay,  a  sleepy, 
aristocratic,  nnenterprising  town.  Souris  is  quite  the  reverse.  Originally 
a  French  settlement,  and  receiving  its  name  from  a  swarm  of  Held-mice 
which  once  invaded  it,  the  little  place,  since  the  raili'oad  has  reached  it, 
has  sprung  into  a  new  existence.  Houses  are  rising  in  every  direction, 
and  its  ship-yards  ring  with  the  merry,  tumultuous  din  of  calkers'  mal- 
lets. The  port  is  exposed  to  southerly  gales.  Some  years  ago  twenty- 
three  schooners  went  ashore  there  in  one  day.  But  the  Dominion  has 
appropriated  $60,000  to  continue  the  breakwater  across  part  of  it,  and 
this 'will  give  a  fresh  impetus  to  the  prosperity  of  one  of  the  most  thriv- 
ing towns  I  have  seen  in  the  Dominion.  The  neighborhood  of  Souris 
is  very  attractive.  Tlie  drives  are  of  the  most  pleasing  character,  the  land- 
scape quiet,  home-like,  and  yet  stimulating  to  the  imagination.  At  Go  wan 
Brae,  the  late  residence  of  John  MacGowan,  Esq.,  is  a  hillock  which  bears 
nnmistakable  evidences  of  being  artificial,  and  it  is  most  probably  the 
funeral  mound  of  an  Indian  chief  of  other  days. 

Malpeque,  or  Richmond  Bay,  near  the  west   end  of  Prince  Edward 


PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND.  203 

Island,  is  a  large  and  beantiful  sheet  of  water.  The  island  is  here  but 
three  miles  wide,  for  Bedeque  Bay  makes  a  deep  indentation  on  the  south- 
ern shore.  On  the  latter  lies  Sunimerside,  a  town  which  scarcely  had  an 
existence  twenty  years  ago.  It  has  not  grown  quite  as  rapidly  as  Chicago ; 
but  within  five  years  it  has  greatly  gained  in  commercial  importance, 
and  in  that  respect  ai)pears  to  be  in  advance  of  any  other  town  on  the 
island,  except  Cliarlottetown.  The  steamer  which  connects  Prince  Edward 
with  the  railroad  on  the  main-land  plies  daily  between  Summerside  and 
Shediac,  thirty-five  miles  distant,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  strait.  On 
each  side  the  cars  run  out  on  a  jetty  to  meet  the  boat.  This,  of  course, 
adds  greatly  to  the  business  activity  of  Summerside.  In  the  bay,  a  mile 
from  the  town,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dunk  River,  is  Indian  Island, 
on  which  Mr.  Holman,  one  of  the  enterprising  men  of  Summerside,  has 
erected  a  hotel  called  the  Island  Park  Hotel.  This  islet  is  jnst  one  mile 
in  circumference,  and  is  overgrown  with  picturesque  primeval  woods. 
These  have  been  very  judiciously  intersected  by  rural  drives  and  walks. 
The  building  itself,  which  is  after  the  American  plan,  faces  the  harbor 
and  the  town ;  and  bath-houses,  billiard-tables,  bowling-alleys,  and  other 
decoys  to  attract  the  traveller  in  search  of  health  or  pleasure,  are  provided. 
At  low  tide  the  strait  on  the  south  side  can  be  easily  forded,  and  the  drives 
on  that  part  of  Prince  Edward  Island  are  charming. 

Of  the  people,  so  far  as  personal  observation  goes,  I  can  speak  favora- 
bly. Among  them  are  many  descendants  of  loyalists  of  our  Revolution, 
who  are  generally  more  opposed  to  the  United  States  than  others.  The 
general  feeling  toward  our  country  is,  however,  apparently  friendly,  and, 
until  quite  recently,  the  desire  for  a  reciprocity  treaty  was  very  strong. 
But  underneath  is,  I  am  convinced,  an  undercurrent  strongly  English, 
notwithstanding  that  the  people  are  really  more  like  Yankees  than  Eng- 
lishmen in  their  habits  and  language.  There  is  just  difference  enough 
between  their  ships,  their  houses,  their  vehicles  or  agricultural  tools,  their 
papers  and  their  colloquial  diction,  for  a  careful  observer  to  note  that  he 
is  not  in  the  United  States ;  but  often  the  difference  is  nearly  impercep- 
tible. It  is  in  their  value  of  time  that  I  discovered  the  greatest  dissimi- 
larity. The  phrase  "Time  is  money"  is  certainly  not  true  on  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  however  true  it  may  be  with  us.  No  one  is  on  hand  when 
he  should  be.  Everything  is  done  with  a  leisure  that  would  imply  lon- 
gevity rivalling  that  of  Methuselah.  Punctuality  in  the  hours  of  meals 
at  the  hotels  is  a  thing  not  dreamed  of,  resulting  in  great  waste  of  time 
and  cold  food.  Nor  did  I  see  any  evidence  anywhere  or  in  the  character 
of  any  one  that  indicated  that  the  word  has  any  meaning  on  Prince  Ed- 


204  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

ward  Island.  This  taking  life  easy  is  a  very  delightful  thing  under  some 
circumstances,  but  it  will  not  do  in  this  age  and  in  the  Western  World, 
in  the  wholesale  manner  in  which  it  is  practised  on  that  beautiful  island, 
for  those  who  desire  to  rise  in  the  world.  And  herein  seems  to  be  partly 
the  reason  why  the  British  Provinces  of  North  America  have  not  pro- 
gressed as  rapidly  as  their  neighbors  south  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Of  the  hospitality  of  the  islanders  I  can  speak  in  high  terms;  and 
to  Mr.  Campbell,  author  of  a  forth-coming  history  of  the  island,  and 
many  others,  the  writer  is  indebted  for  numerous  acts  of  courtesy,  which 
aided  to  render  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  a 
fascinating  pleasure  excursion.  I  returned  by  way  of  Summerside,  She- 
diac,  and  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  arriving  at  the  latter  place  in  ten 
hours  from  the  island.  From  St.  John,  Portland  can  be  reached  by  rail 
or  steamboat,  and  the  tourist  who  does  not  like  travelling  by  water  can 
thus  go  to  Prince  Edward  Island  entirely  by  land,  excepting  the  thirty- 
five  miles  in  a  strong  boat  across  Northumberland  Strait. 


ISLES   OF   SHOALS. 


205 


CHAPTER   XI. 

ISLES    OF    SHOALS. 

ABOUT  seven  miles  from  the  coast  of  New  Hampshire  lie  the  Isles 
of  Shoals.  Their  situation  is  admirably  planned  with  a  view  to  har- 
monizing the  sometimes  conflicting  wants  of  guests  and  landlords,  of  tour- 
ists and  invalids,  and  of  the  proprietors  of  hotels.     They  seem  to  be  a 


SlIAO     AND 


KS,     L)L<K.     ISLANll. 


cluster  of  nuggets  conveniently  dropped  off  our  coast  where  they  can  be 
turned  into  current  coin  by  enterprising  hotel-keepers,  artists,  poets,  and 
scribblers  of  a  thrifty  turn. 

Often  had  I  passed  by  these  islets,  in  all  times  and  weathers,  and 
welcomed  the  gleam  of  the  friendly  light  on  White  Island,  which  warns 
the  mariner  to  give  them  a  wide  berth  in  heavy  weather.  But  the  first 
time  I  ever  landed  there  was  on  a  yachting  cruise  a  year  or  two  ago. 
Once  before  had  I  started  for  the  "  Shoals"  in  my  little  sloop,  the  Zephyr, 
but  we  so  loitered  on  the  way,  fascinated  by  the  many  curious  attractive 
nooks  along  the  coast,  that  when  we  at  last  stood  across  toward  the  islands 
we  were  overtaken  by  a  gale  of  wind  and  forced  to  put  into  Newbnryport, 
and  sailed  thence  directly  for  home.  But  at  length  it  was  destined  that  I 
should  reach  the  islands,  having  been  invited  to  make  one  of  a  party  in  a 
small  sloop-yacht,  and  assist  in  navigating  her. 

It  was  a  charming  morning  in  July.     Various  express  wagons  brought 


206 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


loolMl 


^ 


Londoner/i^.^ 


to  Webb's  Wharf,  in 
Salem,   panniers    of 
provisions,     bundles 
of  bedding  and  cloth- 
ing, a  breaker  of  wa- 
ter, and    a    medley 
of  all  sorts  of  arti- 
cles    liable    to    be 
needed   in   a   yacht- 
ing crnise.     And  af- 
ter   everything    was 
in   readiness,  Frank, 
the  hired  hand  M-ho 
was    to    help    about 
the    yacht,   and    do 
such  odds  and  ends 
of  work  as  we  were  willing  to  shirk,  made  his  appearance. 
He  had  served  on  a  crack  yacht,  and  claimed  to  be  able 
to  do  all  that  is  required  of  an  able  seaman.     His  pro- 
fessions were  found  to  be  I'ather  in  advance  of  his  ca- 
pacit3\      This,  however,  is   so   common   a  trait   tliat   it 
hardly  placed  him  at  a  disadvantage  in  comparison  with 
other  mortals.     Frank  rowed  us  out  to  the  yacht,  and 
we  immediately  made  sail,  and,  casting  off  the  moorings, 
fell  off  before  a  southerly  breeze. 

The  wind  was  light,  about  sou'-sou'-west,  but  with 
the  aid  of  the  gaff-topsail  and  jib-topsail  we  fanned  along  slowly.  After 
passing  Kettle  Cove  the  breeze  began  to  freshen,  and  when  we  came  abreast 
of  Gloucester  the  "  kites"  were  taken  in.  Standing  out  past  Cape  Ann  and 
Milk  Island,  we  sailed  around  Thatcher's  Island,  whose  twin  light-liouses, 
towering  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  seem  placed  there  like  giant  sentinels 
to  guard  the  approach  to  the  coast.  The  wind,  as  the  day  wore  on,  became 
very  stiff,  with  quite  a  "  lump  of  a  sea ;"  but  as  the  yacht  was  faiily  "  shoot- 
ing" like  a  frightened  steed,  we  hoped  that  we  should  be  able  to  reacli 
the  Shoals  before  the  wind  should  grow  much  stronger.  The  probability 
was  that  it  was  oidy  a  summer  breeze,  which  might  shift  to  the  west- 
ward M'ith  a  thunder  squall,  as  it  often  does  on  the  Xorth  Atlantic,  and 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS.  207 

go  down  with  the  sun.  If  that  proved  to  be  the  case,  we  could  run  for 
Portsmouth  or  Newburyport,  for  these  sliifts  of  the  wind  are  generally 
well  announced  to  the  experienced  eye. 

When  we  were  about  half-way  between  Cape  Aim  and  the  Shoals, 
we  all  went  below  to  take  some  refreshments,  leaving  Frank  in  charge 
of  the  helm.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  centre-board  was  up,  and  the 
sloop  steered  a  little  wildly  ;  but  with  a  safe  hand,  there  was  no  reason  why 
she  could  not  be  left  to  his  care  alone,  unless  the  wind  should  freshen. 
Notwithstanding  the  breeze,  the  day  was  warm,  and  it  was  wisely  decided 
to  prepare  a  mild  brew  suited  to  the  occasion,  and  largely  flavored  with 
the  pure  juice  of  the  lemon. 

"Now,  this  is  what  I  call  jolly,"  said  Varney,  with  enthusiasm,  reclin- 
ing on  the  cushion  and  affectionately  regarding  his  glass. 

"  It  reminds  me,"  said  Bent,  "  of  what  Mohammed,  father  of  the  late 
Sultan,  used  to  say  when  he  qnaffed  lemonade  in  the  gilded  halls  of  the 
Seraglio.  Holding  up  his  jewelled  goblet,  brimming  with  lemonade  cooled 
with  the  snows  of  Olympus,  he  would  exclaim,  "As  I  am  the  King  of 
kings,  so  this  is  the  king  of  drinks !" 

"  Well,  he  knew  wliat's  good,  that's  evident,"  said  Jim. 

"  It  reminds  me,"  said  Varney,  "  of  when  I  was  in  the  army.  It  was 
a  blistering  hot  day ;  we'd  had  a  brush  with  the  enemy  the  day  before, 
and  a  rather  lively  time  of  it,  as  you  may  guess,  for  my  horse  was  shot 
under  me,  and  I  had  a  ball  through  my  hat  that  grazed  mj-  hair.  Well, 
that's  neither  here  nor  there.  What  I  was  going  to  say  was,  that  the 
colonel  said  to  me,  '  Varne}',  what  do  you  say  now  to — ' " 

Varney  did  not  finish  his  sentence,  for  on  the  instant  the  yacht,  with- 
out the  slightest  warning,  gave  a  tremendous  lurch  to  starboard,  lying 
over  almost  on  her  beam  ends,  the  sea  boiling  furiously  on  deck,  and 
pouring  through  the  open  dead-light  of  the  trunk  into  the  cuddy.  Down 
went  glasses,  plates,  and,  in  fact,  everything  movable  in  the  cabin,  in  a 
broken  and  confused  mess  to  leeward ;  while  Varney,  w^ith  outstretched 
arms,  pitched  headlong  into  Joe's  stomach  and  nearly  squeezed  the  breath 
out  of  his  body,  Jim  plunging  in  turn,  with  all  his  huge  size  and  weight, 
on  the  three  others. 

As  soon  as  this  crushed,  mauled,  and  puffing  pile  of  hnmanity  could 
return  to  its  individual  parts,  I  scrambled  to  the  companion-way,  and,  in 
the  mildest  terms  that  the  circumstances  would  allow,  demanded  of  Frank 
what  he  was  trying  to  do  with  the  yacht. 

"Oh,  nothin';  I  just  thought  I'd  let  her  jibe,  that's  all,"  he  answered, 
sulkily. 


208 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


■WHALES-BACK    LIGHT. 


"You  just  thought  youM  let  her  jibe,  did  you?  You  mean  that  you 
were  not  minding  3'our  business;  that's  what's  the  matter.  Any  lubber 
could  tell  you  that  to  jibe  a  sloop  like  this  under  such  canvas,  in  such 
a  breeze  and  such  a  sea,  is  just  the  way  to  carry  away  your  main-boom 
or  capsize  the  sloop." 

"  If  you  think  you  can  steer  her  any  better,  just  you  take  the  helm 
yourself!"  Frank  retorted,  rising  surlily  and  going  forward.  He  was 
too  conscious  that  it  was  sheer  carelessness  that  had  brought  us  so  near 
a  serious  accident  to  say  anything  more  in  his  defense. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals  were  now  rising  rapidly,  blue  and  beautiful,  in  the 
north.  Another  hour  brought  us  close  to  them,  and,  rounding  a  reef  on 
which  the  sea  was  breaking  with  vast  masses  of  flashing  foam,  we  stood 
in  for  the  cove  between  Appledore  and  Star  Island,  where  a  number  of 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS.  209 

yachts  were  lying.  We  also  would  have  gladly  selected  a  berth  and  come 
to  anchor,  for  it  looked  very  inviting  on  the  islands.  But  the  sky  to 
windward  was  now  very  threatening.  A  grim  thunder-storm  was  rolling 
up  in  the  west,  and  all  the  yachts  at  the  "  Shoals"  were  making  sail  to  run 
for  a  safe  harbor  at  Portsmouth.  Our  yacht  was  therefore  brought  around 
on  the  port  tack,  and  headed  in  the  same  direction,  with  the  wind  just 
abeam.  It  was  a  lively  sight  as  we  approached  Whale's-back  Light,  sail 
after  sail  converging  toward  the  month  of  the  Piscataqua,  and  the  black, 
scowling  mass  of  clouds  from  the  westward,  streaked  with  lightning  and 
muttering  deep  th.unders,  overarching  the  whole  sky.  The  tide  and  cur- 
rent, both  running  out  against  the  southerly  sea,  made  quite  a  high,  abrupt, 
and  irregular  chop;  but  the  yacht,  still  under  whole  main-sail  and  jib, 
behaved  beautifully.  She  was  fairly  under  the  lee  of  the  land  when  a 
blinding  flash  and  a  deafening  peal  broke  overhead,  while  a  pelting  sheet 
of  rain  and  a  powerful  squall  of  wind  struck  the  fleet  of  yachts.  We  were 
just  in  time;  letting  go  the  halyards,  we  rounded  to  and  dropped  anchor 
in  a  snug  cove,  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  small  craft,  and  then  ran  below 
to  escape  the  deluge  which  poured  down.  In  half  an  hour  the  squall 
had  gone  off  to  leeward,  the  setting  sun  came  out  brilliantly,  and  a  noble 
rainbow  spanned  the  gloom  of  the  retreating  storm. 

On  the  following  day  the  barometer  foretold  a  gale  of  wind ;  and  so, 
with  the  other  yachts,  we  concluded  to  run  farther  up  to  Portsmouth, 
where  we  should  find  more  to  entertain  us  while  waiting  for  good  weather. 
The  sloop  easily  stemmed  the  tortuous,  eddying,  rushing  waters  of  the 
Piscataqua,  and,  successfully  passing  Pull-and-be-damned  Point,  where  the 
currents  and  eddies  are  peculiarly  trying  to  an  unsanctified  temper,  we 
anchored  in  Portsmouth  harbor,  opposite  the  Navy-yard  at  Kittery. 

Some  sixty  or  seventy  yachts,  many  of  them  among  the  finest  craft 
afloat,  were  clustered  there,  and  it  was  a  very  brilliant  sight,  a  spectacle 
full  of  inexhaustible  interest,  to  one  who  has  a  passion  for  naval  archi- 
tecture, and  is  smitten  with  the  yachting  fever — a  passion  which  is  born 
with  a  man,  and  leaves  him  only  when  he  goes  to  a  world  where  yachts 
and  yachting  are  unknown.  The  ancient,  storied,  little  city  swarmed 
with  yachtsmen  in  characteristic  rig,  and  the  coming  race  was  a  topic 
which  afforded  a  common  ground  on  which  all  could  meet  and  talk  until 
the  wee  sma'  hours.  To  your  true  sailor,  a  love  for  ships  and  the  sea 
affords  a  common  bond  of  union  not  unlike  that  of  freemasonry.  The 
subject  he  has  at  heart  is  Sanscrit  to  the  landsman,  and  the  sea  terms  he 
uses  are  but  unintelligible  gibberish  to  all  out  of  the  guild. 

The  gale  of  wind  lasted  two  days,  and  was  followed  by  a  mild  west- 

14 


210 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


erly  breeze,  and  as  fair  a  snmmer's  day  as  ever  shone  on  New  England's 
shore.  Nearly  one  hundred  and  forty  yachts,  large  and  small,  collected 
at  the  Shoals,  many  of  them  drawn  thither  to  witness  the  race  which 
came  off  during  the  day.     Of  course,  the  Islands  were  thronged  with  vis- 


''tZ>      i       z?^ 


DDCK    ISLAND,    FROM    APPLEDOBE. 


itors,  and  it  was  indeed  a  gala-day  at  sea.  One  may  well  say  "  at  sea," 
speaking  of  this  cluster  of  islets,  for  they  are  all  so  small,  the  effect  to  one 
who  lives  on  them  is  quite  that  of  being  "  at  sea,"  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  term.  They  are  all  mere  rocks,  none  of  them  rising  exactly  to  the 
dignity  of  islands,  but  they  are  generally  placed  so  near  together  that  sev- 
eral of  them  give  the  impression  of  forming  one  island.  Were  they  more 
isolated  and  distinct,  their  minute  dimensions  would  be  more  apparent. 
Their  total  area  is  less  than  one  square  mile. 

These  islets  were  first  discovered  b}^  Champlain,  and  later  by  Gosnold. 
Probably  the  first  white  man  who  visited  them  was  Captain  John  Smith, 
who  called  them  Smith's  Isles,  and  so  they  appeared  on  the  old  charts  for 
a  while.  Although  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor  of  the  beauty  of  the 
name,  it  seems  a  pity  that  this  indefatigable  wanderer  and  explorer  should 
not  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  attaching  his  name  permanently  on  some 
one  of  the  many  spots  he  visited  during  his  romantic  career.  The  pres- 
ent name  of  the  islands  seems,  in  the  absence  of  any  definite  information 
on  the  subject,  to  have  been  suggested  by  the  clustering  of  so  many  rocks 
together,  like  a  shoal  or  school  of  fish. 

Appledore,  the  largest  of  the  group,  is  perhaps  two-thirds  of  a  mile 
long.     It  is  divided  into  two  portions  by  a  valley  and  two  inlets.     There 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


211 


is  one  tree  on  the  isle,  a  venerable  elm,  attached  to  the  piazza  of  the  hotel. 
But  although  destitute  of  trees,  like  all  the  neighboring  islets,  Appledore 
is  overgrown  with  the  tangled  meshes  of  blackberry,  raspberry,  and  blue- 
berry vines;  and  many  richly  tinted  lichens  clothe  the  rocks,  while  the 
sweet-scented  bay  breathes  its  fragrance  on  the  summer  air.  The  shores, 
as  in  all  of  these  isles,  are  bare,  composed  of  red  granitic  and  trap  rocks, 
beautifully  harmonizing  with  the  vivid  hues  of  sea  and  sky  on  a  clear  day. 
Nature,  however  brilliant  her  colors,  never  allows  her  effects  to  be  out 
of  tone.  Her  magical  atmosphere  scumbles  and  glazes  every  object  into 
unison  with  the  landscape  in  which  it  appears.  Although  never  very 
high,  the  cliffs  of  Appledore  are  often  bold  and  uncompromising  in  the 
aspect  which  they  present  to  the 
surges  of  easterly  gales.  South 
Gorge  is  a  very  striking  bit  of  rock 
scenery,  whose  trap  cliffs,  eaten  away 
by  the  battering  surf  of  untold  ages, 
actually  overhang  the  sea. 

North  of  Appledore  is  Duck  Isl- 
and, perhaps  a  mile  distant.  It  is  a 
low,  uninhabited  isle,  surrounded  by 
the  Shag  and  Mingo  rocks,  and  a 
net -work  of  reefs  which  seem  laid 
to  entrap  unlucky  vessels  sailing  by. 
Duck  Island,  Appledore,  and  the 
three  adjoining  islets  belong  to 
Maine,  while  the  four  southern  isles 
form  part  of  New  Hampshire.  This 
seems  to  be  an  absurd  and  unneces- 
sary geographical  division. 

Appledore  was  the  first  to  be  set- 
tled, and  until  the  close  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century  was  occupied  by 
a  flourishing  hamlet,  including  a 
church,  and  an  academy  of  wide  re- 
pute. But  of  all  this  nothing  now 
remains  but  the  site  of  a  few  houses 
and  a  cemetery.  The  old  settlement 
had  long  passed  away  when  the  Hon.  Henry  B.  Laighton,  once  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire,  became  weary  of  the  haunts  of  men, 
and  disgusted  with  his  race.     He  sought  and  obtained  the  office  of  keeper 


212 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


of  the  light-house  on  White  Island.  After  remaining  there  six  years,  he 
removed  to  Appledore,  and  there  built  himself  a  house,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death.     For  twenty-iive  years  this  modern  Timon  gazed  on  the 


SOUTH-EAST    END     OF     APPLEDORE,    LOOKING     SOUTH. 


main-land,  but  a  few  miles  off,  but  never  stepped  foot  on  it  again.  He  is 
buried  on  a  knoll  a  few  yards  from  the  hotel  which  gradually  grew  np 
under  his  charge.  From  offering  a  shelter  to  the  occasional  visitors  who 
sometimes  sought  the  islands,  he  gradually  became  the  proprietor  of  a 
large  and  fashionable  hotel,  thi-onged  by  hundreds  of  guests.  This  hotel 
is  now  under  the  charge  of  his  two  sons.  His  daughter,  Mrs.  Celia  Thax- 
ter,  the  well-known  poetess  and  historian  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  resides  in 
a  house  adjoining  the  hotel. 

Small  as  are  these  isles,  they  have  already  given  rise  to  a  literature  of 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


213 


their  own.  Captain  Smith  and  Cotton  Mather  liave  considerable  to  say 
about  them  in  quaint  and  vigorous  Englisli.  The  town  records  of  Gos- 
port,  on  Star  Island,  are  entertaining,  both  as  local  history  and  specimens 
of  English  undeliled  by  the  learning  of  the  schools.  Mr.  Jenners  and 
Mr.  Chadwick,  the  poet,  have  both  written  capital  historical  and  descriptive 
sketches  of  the  islands.  The  ballads  founded  on  the  romantic  scenes 
that  have  occurred  on  the  Isles  of  Shoals  have  given  Mrs.  Thaxter  a 
well-known  position  as  a  writer  of  picturesque  verse,  and  have  done  much 
to  invest  the  Isles  of  Shoals  with  that  delicate  veil  of  romance  and  legend, 
that  air  of  sentiment  and  human  interest,  which  add  an  indescribable 
charm  to  the  attractions  of  natural  scenery.  It  is  not  so  much  the  actual 
man  as  the  memory  of  his  existence  in  a  rural  or  sea  solitude  which  en- 
hances the  interest  of  a  landscape. 

Smutty  Nose,  now  called  Haley's  Islaiid,  is  next  in  size  to  Appledore, 
which  it  adjoins.  Its  first  name  was  derived  from  a  dark-hued  ledge 
that  still  bears  the  name.  The  rocks  called  Malaga  and  Cedar  Isles  are 
close  to  it,  and,  together  with  the  breakwater  between  Haley's  and  Cedar, 
form  the  harbor  of  the  Shoals,  a  commodious  and  tolerably  safe  port,  ex- 
cept in  gales  from  south-west  to  north-west.  Haley's  was  named  after 
Mr.  Samuel  Haley,  one  of  the  former  inhabitants,  who  found,  even  on 
this  minute  theatre  of  action,  room  for  the  development  of  the  noble 


HALEY'S     DOCK    AND    HOMESTEAD. 

(In  the  third  house  from  the  left  the  Wagner  murder  was  committed.) 


qualities  which  mark  the  npright  and  public-spirited  citizen.  He  built 
windmills  to  grind  the  grain,  which  grew  more  liberally  on  Haley's  Island 
than  on  the  other  isles,  and  laid  out  a  rope-walk.     He  was  also  a  sheep 


214 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


and  cattle  grazer  on  a  somewhat  limited  territory.  But  bis  memory  is 
chiefly  to  be  cherished  because  of  his  solicitude  for  the  storm-tossed  sailor. 
For  many  years  a  light  shone  in  his  window  at  night  to  warn  the  passing 


LEDGE    OF    HUtKb,    HALEY  s    ISLAND. 


ship  away  from  those  cruel  rocks.  He  also  built  the  breakwater  with 
the  proceeds  of  three  bars  of  silver  which  he  found  under  a  cliff,  doubt- 
less washed  ashore  from  some  hapless  wreck,  and  he  afterward  added 
a  wharf,  which,  although  now  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  affoi-ds  a  safe 
shelter  for  boats.  Near  his  grave  are  the  graves  of  the  Spanish  sailors 
of  the  ship  Sagunto,  which  was  wrecked  in  a  winter  snow-storm.  Those 
who  live  on  that  bleak  coast,  and  have  often  seen  the  terrible  gloom  and 
severity  of  a  north-easterly  storm  in  December,  know  well  what  must  have 
been  the  sufferings  of  that  ill-fated  crew.  Their  nameless  gravestones 
were  erected  by  the  sympathetic  kindness  of  Mr.  Haley,  who  now  lies 
in  turn  at  their  side ;  for  to  all  mankind  there  is  a  common  lot.  Whether 
at  sea  or  in  port,  all  are  wrecked  at  last. 

Haley's  Island  has  acquired  a  melancholy  celebrity  within  a  few 
years  by  the  awful  tragedy  of  March,  1S73.  Louis  Wagner  had  an  idea 
that  he  should  find  money  in  the  house  of  a  Swedish  family  then  liv- 
ing there.  He  rowed  in  the  moonlight  from  Portsmouth,  and  stole  un- 
noticed on  the  sleeping  inmates,  who  suspected  no  danger  in  the  quiet 
little  isle,  where  only  the  seas  seemed  savage.  Marie  Christianson  he  mur- 
dered in  the  house.  Annetta,  her  sister-in-law,  who  had  escaped,  half 
awake,  through  the  window,  was  standing  there,  stupefied  with  horror,  when 
he  stealthily  crept  up  behind  her,  and,  with  one  blow  of  an  axe,  completed 
the  bloody  tragedy.  Marie  Hontvet,  flying  to  the  water,  a!id  waving  her 
arms  with  frantic  appeals,  was  seen  by  Ingebertsen,  who  flew  to  the  rescue. 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS.  215 

But  Wagner  escaped,  and  returned  to  Portsmouth.  He  rowed  eighteen 
miles  in  a  small  boat  between  midniglit  and  mid-day,  murdered  two  wom- 
en, and  tried  to  slaughter  a  third,  and  earned  for  all  his  trouble  only 
sixteen  dollars  and  the  rope  by  which  he  was  hanged. 

Ab(5ut  the  year  1700,  Star  Island  became  the  seat  of  the  capital  of 
the  Isles  of  Shoals,  if  we  may  so  designate  the  village  which  arose  there 
after  the  decay  of  the  hamlet  on  Appledore.  The  new  townlet  was  called 
Gosport,  and  lishing  was  carried  on  by  the  quarter  of  a  thousand  inhab- 
itants with  such  brisk  enterprise,  that  by  1750  ships  came  to  its  little 
harbor  from  the  Mediterranean  ports,  to  load  salt  lish  for  Lenten  days 
in  foreign  lands.  Like  the  first  Greeks  and  Romans,  the  founders  of  Gos- 
port were  patterns  of  virtuous  integrity,  and  the  local  code  was  severe,  and 
was  administered  without  regard  to  rank  or  sex.  Joanne  Ford  received 
nine  stripes,  delivered  with  impartial  vigor,  in  the  presence  of  the  municipal 
authorities  in  council  assembled,  because,  as  it  is  recorded,  she  had  called 
the  constable  "  horn-headed  rogue,  and  cow-headed  rogue."  It  is  quite 
possible  he  had  justly  earned  a  right  to  these  titles,  and  had  not  unlikely 
given  her  severe  provocation  ;  but  the  law  and  its  officers  must,  of  course, 
be  above  insult.  The  success  and  wealth  which  attended  the  fisheries  of 
Gosport  seem,  however,  to  have  had  the  same  effect  on  the  jeunesse  doree 
of  this  populous  seaport  that  prosperity  usually  produces  in  all  large  cities. 


SMUTTY     NOSE. 


lliotous  living  became  too  common  ;  the  Decalogue,  as  a  guide  for  practice, 
fell  into  disuse  ;  and,  what  seemed  quite  as  bad  at  that  time,  the  inhabitants 
were  proved  guilty  of  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  the  British  and  the  Tories 


216 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution.     Thej  were  ordered  to  leave  the  isl- 
ands, and  the  census  of  Gosport  fell  suddenly  from  284  to  44  individuals. 
Tlie  proprietors  of  the  large  hotel  which  now  occupies  the  former  site 
of  Gosport  bought  out  the  few  remaining  inhabitants,  and  their  cottages 


wii^t-       =^ 


OLD    CHURCH,    STAR     ISLAND. 


have  been  turtied  into  tenement  houses,  which  are  leased  to  visitors  when 
their  number  is  too  large  to  find  accommodation  in  the  hotel.  On  the 
barren,  broken,  rock -strewn  hill,  the  culminating  point  of  Star  Island, 
stands  the  old  cluircli  of  Gospoi't,  a  stone  structure  thirtj^-six  feet  by 
twenty-four  on  the  outside ;  the  walls  are  two  feet  thick.  A  vane  crowns 
tlte  steeple,  which  was  considered  elaborately  ornamental  and  costly  by 
those  wlio  put  it  there.  It  was  also  used  as  a  storehouse  for  salt  fish  on 
week-days ;  sometimes  it  was  left  there  during  the  hours  of  service. 

Gosport  was  like  other  towns,  large  and  small,  in  one  respect.  They 
all  have  their  graveyards.  Gosport  is  now  one  of  the  towns  that  have 
ceased  to  be,  and  tlie  place  where  it  stood  knoweth  it  no  moi-e.  But  there, 
on  the  western  side  of  Star  Island,  facing  tlie  setting  sun,  and  washed  by 
the  moaning  sea,  its  lonely  graves  remain  to  tell  of  those  who,  ages  ago, 
lived  and  toiled,  and  loved,  and  suffered,  and  sinned,  or  triumphed  over 
sin,  on  Star  Island.  And  there  they  may  yet  repose  for  centuries  to  come, 
if  the  sacrilegious  visitor,  or  the  grasping  money-seeker,  does  not  invade 
that  little  cemetery,  which  seems  to  have  been  left  in  trust  to  the  genera- 
tions yet  to  be. 

Near  the  eastern  end  of  Star  Island  stands  a  monument  erected  to 


ISLES   OF   SHOALS. 


217 


Captain  '"'John  Smitli,  tlie  Discoverer  of  these  Isles."  as  the  inscription 
runs.  It  was  placed  there  by  the  islanders,  and  cannot  be  justly  con- 
sidered either  classical  or  graceful  in  design.  Three  steps  are  surmounted 
by  a  pedestal  that  snpports  a  triangular  marble  column,  which  is  in  turn 
crowned  by  three  Turks'  heads,  or,  rather,  three  heads  were  once  there ; 
but  wind,  weather,  and  vandalism  have  made  sad  work  of  two  of  them. 
Captain  Smith  was  justly  proud  of  his  exploit  in  shearing  off  the  heads 
of  three  Turks  in  his  Hungary  catnpaign,  and  this  monument  is  a  tribute 
to  the  lively  satisfaction  with  which  he  regarded  that  pleasant  incidei^it 
in  his  varied  career. 

The  annals  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  include  two  other  names  of  local 
note,  the  Kev.  Mr.  Tucke  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brock,  both  good  Puritans. 
Mather  has  somewhat  to  say  of  the  latter,  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
strong,  quaint,  sincere,  decided  character,  well  adapted  to  deal  with  the 
weather-worn  fishermen  and  broad-shouldered  fish -wives  of  his  insular 
parish.  In  the  "Magnalia"  we  read  that  one  of  the  fishermen,  who  had 
often  ferried  the  people  across  the  cove  to  church,  lost  his  boat  in   a 


\    ^J^6!^^,i|     ^   ^ 


CAPTAIN    JOHN     SMITH'S    MONnMENT,   STAR    ISLAND. 


storm.  "When  he  informed  Mr.  Brock  of  his  misfortune,  he  suggested 
tliat  an  overruling  Providence  did  not  seem  to  have  taken  his  pious  ser- 
vices into  suflScient  consideration,  or  he  would  not  have  been  repaid  by  the 


218 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


loss  of  his  boat.     "  Go  home  contented,  good  sir,"  said  Mr.  Brock ;  "  I'll 
mention  it  to  the  Lord.     You  may  expect  to  find  your  boat  to-moi-row." 


GORGE,    STAR    ISLAND. 


The  next  day  the  boat  floated  to  the  surface,  brought  up  by  the  fluke  of  a 
ship's  anchor.  The  angel  delegated  to  recover  "the  boat  may  have  gone 
down  and  fixed  the  point  of  the  anchor-fluke  inside  of  the  gunwale,  just 


WHITE     ISLAND     LIGHT. 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


219 


as  they  catch  the  mutton-fish  in  the  West  Indies,  which  is  said  to  be  so 
sUiggish  that  divers  descend  and  pnt  the  hook  into  its  mouth. 

The  frequent  wrecks  on  the  Isles  of  Shoals  have  naturally  caused  more 
or  less  treasure  to  be  washed  up  on  the  rocks.  Even  as  early  as  the  time 
of  Captain  Smith  coins  had  begun  to  be  found  occasionally,  sometimes  in 
the  mouths  of  fish ;  and  the  Indians  told  as  exaggerated  stories  about  it  as 
the  Indians  farther  south  related  to  Columbus  about  the  gold  in  the  West 


CLIFFS,    WHITE     ISLAND. 


Indies.     The  following  exquisite  passage  from  the  worthy  captain's  jour- 
nal  will  match  what  he  said  about  the  spiders  of  Bermuda : 

"And  is  it  not  a  pretty  sport  to  pull  up  twopence,  sixpence,  and  twelve- 
pence  as  fast  as  one  can  bate  or  veare  a  line  ?  The  salvages  compare  the 
store  in  the  sea  to  the  hairs  upon  their  heads;  and  surely  there  is  an  in- 
credible abundance  of  them  upon  the  coast." 


220 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


The  sceneiT  of  Star  Island — if  one  may  apply  that  term  to  an  islet 
scarce  half  a  mile  long — is  broken  and  nigged,  and  rising  at  each  end. 


COVERED    WALK    AND    LIGHT-HOUSE,   WHITE    ISLAND. 

The  most  remarkable  spot  in  its  warm  gray  cliffs  is  the  Gorge,  formed  by 
untold  ages  of  breakers  thnndering  against  it  before  ever  man  appeared 
on  the  M'ild  New  England  shore.  The  magnificent  picture,  entitled  "The 
Breaking  np  of  a  Storm  on  Star  Island,"  painted  b}^  Mr.  M.  F.  H.  de  Haas, 
is  a  grand  representation  of  the  rocks  of  this  island  in  a  roaring  north- 
easter. 

Dne  east  from  Star  Island,  half  a  mile  distant,  is  Londoner,  a  low, 
bare,  uninhabited  rock ;  the  ruins  of  one  small  dwelling  still  remain  upon 
it.  At  the  north-western  end  lies  a  most  cruel  reef,  over  which  the  surf 
rolls  with  terrific  grandeur. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  Londoner  is  White  Island.     The  north- 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


221 


ern  part  of  it  is  called  Seavey's  Island,  because  a  high  tide  sometimes 
overflows  the  neck  which  joins  them.  White  Island  proper  is  a  grim, 
stubborn  rock,  sturdily  breasting  the  Atlantic  surges,  and  is  by  no  means 
the  least  interesting  of  the  group.  Its  rugged,  abrupt,  deeply  furrowed 
form,  and  the  perpendicular  face  it  shows  to  the  south,  give  to  it  a  sav- 
age wildness  and  grandeur  oui  of  proportion  with  its  actual  dimensions. 
On  the  summit  of  its  highest  point,  eighty  feet  above  the  water,  stands 
the  light -house  which  has  been  rendered  famous  by  the  graphic  muse 
of  Mrs.  Thaxter,  whose  girlhood  was  spent  on  White  Island.  It  is  a  solid 
stone  structure,  picturesquely  harmonizing  with  the  scene  of  which  it  is 
the  central  object.  The  lamp  is  a  Fi-esnel  light  of  tlie  first  class,  and 
cost  thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  violence  of  the  sea  when  it  bursts  on 
White  Island  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  the  heavy  covered  walk, 
over  a  hundred  feet  long,  was  once  washed  completely  away,  and,  rushing 
down  the  gorge,  was  crushed  and  swept  out  to  sea. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals  entirely  merit  the  reputation  they  have  acquired. 
In  a  space  under  six  hundred  acres  they  offer  manifold  attractions  to  the 
invalid,  the  artist,  or  the  pleasure-seeker.  A  residence  there  possesses  the 
tonic  qualities  of  a  sea-voyage ;  and  as  for  hay  fever,  the  unhappy  victim 
who  has  vainly  sought  freedom  from  an  affliction  which  has  destroyed  so 
many  a  fair  summer's  sport  may  calmly  sit  on  the  piazza  at  Appledore  or 
Star  Island,  and,  while  he  smokes  his  cigar  with  serene  exultation,  can 
laugh  to  scorn  the  relentless  demon  who  watches  on  the  opposite  coast, 
unable  to  cross  the  sea,  but  waiting  to  seize  him  again  when  he  once  more 
leaves  the  Isles  of  Shoals. 


^  ^-i??;-- 


LONDONEn,    FROM    STAB    ISLAND. 


222  THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CAPE   BRETON    ISLAND. 

IT  was  late  in  October  that  I  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Cape  Breton,  in  the 
good  bark  Ethan  Allen,  from  Madeira.  The  exceptionally  favorable 
winds  we  had  enjo^'ed  now  left  ns,  and  it  was  only  after  battling  with 
heavy  squalls,  and  gales,  and  adverse  cnri-ents  for  several  days,  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  that  we  succeeded  in  making  the  port 
for  which  we  were  bound,  and  we  were  quite  able  after  that  to  realize 
why  insurance  premiums  are  doubled  after  October  sets  in  on  all  vessels 
sailing  for  that  inhospitable  coast.  It  took  all  day  to  beat  up  the  long, 
narrrow  entrance  to  Sydney  harbor,  and  we  passed  a  steamer  which  had 
gone  on  the  bar  in  a  storm  which  had  forced  us  to  stand  out  to  sea  two 
days  before.  The  prospect  was  rendered  somewhat  dismal  by  a  crowd 
of  damaged  vessels  which  had  been  wholly  or  partially  wrecked  in  the 
appalling  hurricane  of  the  previous  August.  Of  Sydney  little  can  be  said 
that  is  inviting.  The  lay  of  the  land  is  very  much  that  of  our  own  New 
England,  but  vegetation  is  more  sparse,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the 
landscape  more  sad  and  sere.  The  bay  is  spacious  and  well  protected,  af- 
fording several  excellent  harbors  for  ordinary  weather ;  but  the  town  pre- 
sents a  singular  blending  of  squalor  and  thrift,  the  former  being  the  first 
feature  to  impress  the  stranger  on  landing.  Shanties  and  groggeries,  dis- 
reputable to  a  degree,  abound,  and  lead  one  to  think  he  has  fallen  on  some 
maritime  Laramie  or  Cheyenne ;  while  to  the  westward  new  houses,  glory- 
ing in  the  tawdriness  of  white  paint,  green  shutters,  and  flimsy  verandas, 
indicate  that  the  place  is  not  altogether  going  to  the  dogs.  Coal  is  the 
chief  stock  in  trade,  and  the  supply  is  apparently  inexhaustible ;  the  whole 
island  is,  in  fact,  intersected  by  seams  of  the  black  mineral.  The  veins 
run  under  the  harbor  at  Sydney,  and  are  worked  to  a  considerable  depth. 
The  population  is,  consequently,  mining,  combined  with  a  large  floating 
class  of  fishermen  and  seamen,  ever  ready  to  "splice  the  main-brace"  and 
chuck  the  rosy  girls  of  Cape  Breton  under  the  chin.  It  must  be  added 
that  they  do  not  always  stop  there,  and  street  brawls,  as  may  be  easily  im- 


CAPE  BRETON  ISLAND. 


223 


agiiied,  are  not  uncommon.     It  is  difficult  to  fancy  any  one  lying  awake 
o'  nights  sighing  for  Sydney. 

This  port  has  of  late  years  become  a  great  resort  for  our  mackerel  fish- 
ermen. It  is  not  far  from  Cape  North,  one  of  the  fishing-grounds,  and 
the  fisli  ai-e  also  found  toward  the  close  of  the  season  off  the  harbor.  Sev- 
enty of  our  schooners  made  Sydney  a  rendezvous  during  the  previous 


FISHERKEN    CRniSING. 


summer,  and  it  is  indeed  a  stirring  and  beautiful  spectacle  to  see  the 
graceful  little  craft  dodging  up  and  down  the  long  entrance  to  the  harbor, 
or  darting  hither  and  thither  in  white  groups,  like  sea-fowl,  in  search  of 
schools  of  mackerel.  So  fascinated  was  I  by  the  sight  of  these  schooners, 
that,  on  finding  my  bark  was  not  going  to  return  to  Boston,  I  at  once  de- 
cided to  get  passage  in  one  of  the  schooners,  if  possible,  in  preference  to 


224  THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

the  steamer.  Fortune  seemed  to  favor  me.  The  skij3per  of  the  A72na 
Jfaria  came  aboard  to  brin^  us  some  fresh  mackerel,  and  told  us  he  was 
to  start  the  following  morning  for  home,  going,  for  the  first  time,  by  way 
of  the  Bras  d'Or,  which  I  had  long  wished  to  see.  lie  kindly  offered  me 
a  bunk,  and  a  share  of  grub  for  myself  and  dog.  I  jumped  at  the  pro- 
posal, and  early  the  next  day  took  my  traps  aboard  ;  we  peaked  the  main- 
sail, tripped  the  anchor,  and  stood  out  to  sea.  The  Aima  Maria  was 
twenty-four  years  old,  forty-one  tons  burden,  and  had  a  small  forecastle 
and  a  diminutive  trunk-cabin  aft ;  live  men  slept  forward,  and  there  were 
six  of  us,  or  seven,  including  a  dog,  in  the  cuddy.  The  deck  was  lumbered 
up  with  a  quantity  of  iish-barrels  and  tubs,  and  the  whole  vessel  was  in  an 
unmentionable  state  of  dirtiness,  resulting  from  twelve  weeks  of  fishing. 

There  are  two  entrances  to  the  remarkable  sea-lake  called  the  Bras 
d'Or,  which  separates  Cape  Breton  Island  into  two  nearly  equal  portions. 
Within  a  short  time  a  canal,  scarcely  half  a  mile  long,  has  been  cut 
through  the  isthmus,  permitting  the  passage  of  vessels  of  small  burden. 
It  is  about  sixty  miles  from  the  canal  to  the  two  eastern  straits  or  en- 
trances. The  southern  entrance  is  impassable  except  for  steamers  and 
boats.  We  struck  for  the  northern  passage,  called  tlie  Great  Bras  d'Or, 
having  a  leading  wind,  without  which  it  is  impossible  for  a  sailing  vessel 
to  pass  in.  The  navigable  channel  is  very  narrow,  the  tide  runs  through 
it  like  a  mill-race,  and,  for  the  first  few  miles,  any  vessel  getting  ashore 
there  is  exposed  to  the  full  sw^eep  of  easterly  gales. 

There  were  seven  schooners  in  company  with  us,  all  keeping  so  closely 
together  that  the  bowsprit  of  one  would  almost  overhang  the  taffrail  of 
the  next  one;  sometimes  one  would  becalm  another,  and  thus  shoot  by. 
Finall}^,  one  of  the  schooners  got  slued  aside  on  a  bank,  and  had  to  be 
left  behind,  to  get  off  as  she  could.  Happily  for  the  rest,  a, pilot  appeared 
at  this  juncture  in  a  dory,  and  agreed  to  pilot  the  little  fleet.  He  carried 
us  as  far  as  Kelly's  Cove,  when,  fog  and  twilight  both  coming  on,  we  all 
dropped  anchor,  and  the  pilot  proceeded  to  levy  toll  before  leaving  us  for 
the  night.  He  was  a  curious  specimen  of  the  genus  Bretoniensis.  Keep- 
ing his  eyes  always  down,  while  he  hung  on  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  he 
rattled  away  with  great  volubility,  which  w\as  evidently  increased  by  the 
bad  whiskey  he  had  taken  before  coming  off  to  us.  "  I  don't  care  for  any 
bluidy  silver.  A  little  bluidy  pork  or  beef,  a  little  bluid}''  salt  or  bluidy 
jigs,  you  don't  want  any  more,  my  hearties,  or  any  other  bluidy  thiiig  will 
do  me  jist  exactly  as  well.  I  should  be  only  too  glad  to  take  such  a  pretty 
schooner  through  them  narrows  for  nothink,  but  don't  ye  sees,  we  can't  do 
nothink  for  nothink  in  Cape  Breton  no  more  than  nowheres  else?     And 


CAPE   BRETON   ISLAND. 


225 


that's  the  truth.  That'll  do,  that'll  do.  I  don't  want  ye  to  rob  yourselves. 
Fish-bait?  no,  got  enough  of  the  bluidy  thing.  There's  no  need  of  my 
coming  off  to  ye  the  mornin' :  all  ye've  got  to  do  is  jist  to  keep  that  p'int 
close  aboard,  and  ye'll  be  all  right ;  and  remimber  them  two  spar-buoys  on 
the  starboard  beam,  and  one  on  the  port,  and  there  ain't  no  other  bluidy 
thing  in  the  channel  that  the  likes  o'  ye  need  to  be  afeard  of;  and  I'm 


TALL     FISHING. 


very  much  obleeged  to  ye,  gintlemen,  and  I  wish  ye  a  pleasant  v'yage ;" 
and  off  he  went  to  repeat  the  farce  at  the  next  schooner. 

"We  found  ourselves  anchored  for  the  night  in  Kelly's  Cove,  under 
Kelly's  Mountain,  the  highest  land  on  the  Bras  d'Or.  It  is  an  isolated 
ridge,  wliich  I  estimated  to  be  about  twelve  hundred  feet  high,  but  so  bold 
as  to  resemble  a  wall,  and  give  an  impression  of  greater  height.  Evidences 
of  the  tremendous  hurricane  of  the  previous  September  were  e\erywhere 

15 


226  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

visible.  The  wind  had  felled  the  largest  forest  trees  in  ranks  mile  after 
mile,  or,  where  the  squalls  had  been  most  violent,  had  cnt  swaths  through 
the  woods  as  the  scythe  of  the  mower  lays  the  grass.  This  was  the  case 
all  through  the  Bras  d'Or.  Many  houses  and  barns  were  felled  or  injured ; 
at  Arichat  sixty  houses  were  blown  down.  Vessels  w^ere  everywhere  de- 
stroyed ;  all  through  the  trip  we  came  across  wrecks  on  shore. 

The  boat  was  lowered,  and  skipper  and  I  went  ashore  on  a  foraging 
expedition  among  the  farm-houses.  We  found  the  people  generally  were 
"  Heelanders,"  as  they  called  themselves,  among  whom  Gaelic  is  still  the 
vernacular,  some  actually  being  unable  to  converse  in  English.  They 
were  mostly  Roman  Catholics.  We  finally  brought  up  at  a  small  house, 
where  we  spent  a  couple  of  houi-s  chatting  before  an  old-fashioned  ingle- 
side,  over  whose  bright  blaze  the  kettle  was  singing.  A  dance  at  a  fai-m- 
house  farther  on  was  proposed,  and  skipper  offered  to  bring  oif  the 
schooner's  fiddler  to  stimulate  the  heels  and  quicken  the  hearts  of  the  lads 
and  lassies ;  but,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  the  plan  mifortunately 
fell  through.  A  brace  of  geese  and  a  pail  of  milk  were  the  results  of  our 
expedition.  It  was  so  dark  that  the  buxom  hostess  snatched  a  brand  from 
the  hearth,  and  gave  it  to  us  by  way  of  lantern,  and  we  thus  I'cached  the 
boat  without  spilling  the  milk. 

We  were  again  nnder  way  the  next  morning,  but  the  wind  was  so 
light  we  made  but  little  progress.  The  good  weather  was  improved  to 
clear  the  deck  and  clean  the  vessel.  We  passed  some  plaster-cliffs,  which 
furnish  material  for  many  of  the  best  ceilings  in  our  cities,  and  add  a 
striking  feature  to  the  scenery.  We  also  had  a  fine  view  up  the  Little 
Bras  d'Or,  and  left  the  shire  town  of  Badde(!k  on  our  right,  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  bay.  At  night  we  again  anchored,  at  Gi-and  Narrows,  and  skip- 
per and  I  repeated  our  foraging  expedition.  We  were  lucky  enough  to 
come  across  some  very  nice  people,  bearing  the  famous  names  of  M'Niel 
and  M'Donald.  The  next  morning,  just  after  we  hove  up  anchor,  a  boat 
overtook  us,  bringing  a  supply  of  milk  and  eggs  from  our  friends  of 
the  previous  evening,  which  very  materially  added  to  the  slender  stock  of 
pork,  beans,  and  molasses,  that  constituted  the  commissariat  of  the  Anna 
Maria.  But  genei-ally  the  people  ai-e  a  pretty  rough  set,  with  a  decided 
talent  for  brawling  and  drinking.  When  we  were  going  aboard  at  night, 
we  came  across  three  sturdy  fellows,  well  braced  with  gin,  and  altogether 
too  willing  to  fire  off  the  guns  they  carried  to  make  them  pleasant  com- 
panions, especially  as  they  seemed  inclined  to  pick  a  quarrel.  But  evad- 
ing them  in  the  dark,  we  were  the  first  to  reach  the  boat,  beached  under 
cover  of  some  rushes,  and  shoved  off  for  the  schooner. 


CAPE  BRETON  ISLAND. 


227 


After  leaving  Grand  Narro^vs,  the  passage  widened  into  a  broad  lake 
some  twenty  miles  across  at  the  widest,  deeply  indented  with  bays,  and 
stndded  with  large  islands.  Fish  and  game  abound  there.  While  we 
were  becalmed,  signs  of  mackerel  appeared,  and  all  hands  got  out  their 
lines,  and  each  man  took  his  allotted  place  by  the  side  of  the  vessel ;  but, 
after  a  few  minutes  of  spirited  sport,  the  fish  left  us,  and  a  breeze  sprung 


^\ 


BIDING    OUT    A     NORTH-EASTER. 


up  and  fanned  ns  along  through  the  afternoon.  To  the  sportsman,  few 
places  offer  greater  attractions  than  the  Bras  d'Or,  in  summer  and  early 
autumn.  At  sundown  the  fleet  was  becalmed  in  the  middle  of  the  lake, 
which  was  glowing  and  magnificent  beyond  description,  under  the  splen- 
dor of  a  sunset  of  extraordinary  beauty  and  variety  of  tint  and  hue.  As  I 
gazed,  entranced,  on  that  spectacle,  I  did  not  wonder  that  they  called  that 
sea  strait,  so  rarely  combining  lake  and  river,  the  Bras  d'Or.     Golden  was 


228 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


the  autmniial  glory  of  its  shores,  golden  were  its  waters,  and  golden  the 
tranquil  sky  which  overhung  and  imparted  to  it  half  its  wealth  of  beauty. 
The  shootino;-stars  and  the  nio-ht-breeze  came  toirether,  and  we  M-atch- 


ed  the  one  and  glided  gently  along  before  the  other,  until  at  midnight  we 
again  neared  dangerous  navigation,  and  came  to  an  anchor.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  we  passed  a  noted  Indian  settlement,  where  there  is  a  large 
church  with  some  wigwams.  The  Indians  of  this  region  assemble  in 
spring  and  summer  on  their  island,  and  attempt  to  keep  up  the  dances 
and  other  ceremonies  peculiar  to  their  ancestors. 

The  scenery  now  became  exceedingly  romantic  and  beautiful,  often 
resembling  the  Thousand  Islands,  and  the  region  is  so  little  inhabited  as 
scarcely  to  seem  a  country  that  has  been  settled  for  two  hundred  years. 
Islands  of  all  sizes,  sometimes  mere  knolls  tufted  with  birches  and  pines, 
divide  the  lake  into  numerous  winding  channels  for  a  long  distance.  The 
ship-channel  is  often  so  narrow  and  tortuous  that  it  was  with  great  diffi- 
cult}^ that  even  our  short  schooners,  capable  of  turning  within  their  own 
lengths,  could  be  worked  without  going  ashore.  One  of  them  here  ran 
her  nose  into  a  mud-bank,  on  which  we  also  touched,  and  so  firmly  that 
she  lay  there  several  days. 

Just  before  evening  the  Anna  Maria,  heading  the  fleet,  reached  the 
canal  at  St.  Peter's.  In  an  hour  she  was  again  on  the  Atlantic;  but  so 
difficult  is  the  way  out  into  the  harbor,  that  we  grounded  on  a  rock  in  a 
dangerous  situation. 

While  we  were  getting  her  off,  a  party  of  Indians  landed  close  under 
our  lee,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  the}'-  had  put  up  several  bark  wigwams, 
and  the  dusky  shades  of  evening  were  rendered  picturesque  by  the  smoky 
gleams  of  their  fires.     The  little  cove  where  we  were  lying,  the  forests  on 


CAPE  BRETON  ISLAND. 


229 


one  side  and  the  wigwams  and  strange  forms  moving  before  the  light  and 
reflected  in  the  water ;  the  last  lingeiing  rays  of  sunset  on  the  other  side, 
vividly  outlining  the  rakish  spars  of  the  pinks  rocking  in  the  port;  the 
splash  and  swing  of  warps  in  the  water;  the  quick  movement  of  boats 
here  and  there,  with  phosphorescent  drops  twinkling  on  the  oars;  the 
shadow  of  the  spars,  and  the  tread  of  feet  on  the  deck,  as  schooner  after 
schooner  warped  past  lis  in  the  starry  gloom — presented  a  singidar  and 
effective  scene. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  worked  out  of  St.  Peter's  by  Madame  Isl- 


ONE    OF    THE    FISHERMAN  S     PERILS. 


and.  The  threatening  character  of  the  weather  inclined  us  to  go  into 
Arichat,  but  a  land-breeze  sprung  up  after  sunset.  All  night  we  flew  be- 
fore it  under  press  of  sail,  and  by  next  morning  had  run  one  hundred  and 


230  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

forty  miles,  and  were  abreast  of  Halifax.  On  the  following  day  our  good 
weather  came  to  an  end.  A  gale  was  coming  on,  and,  after  pounding 
against  a  heavy  sea  several  hours  and  starting  a  leak,  we  were  just  able  to 
work  into  Shelburne,  where  we  lay  three  days.  Shelburne  possesses  the 
finest  harbor  in  Nova  Scotia.  What  is  also  in  its  favor  is,  that  it  is  easy  of 
access,  and  is  often  made  a  harbor  of  refuge.  The  settlement  is,  however, 
but  a  wretched  makeshift  for  a  town,  like  many  places  in  the  Eastern  prov- 
inces, but  has  considerable  ship-building,  which  gives  it  some  appearance 
of  thrift.  It  also  abounds  with  herring,  which  are  eaten  in  such  quantities 
by  the  Bluenoses,  that  it  is  said  of  them  they  cannot  pull  off  their  shirts  in 
spring  because  of  the  fish-bones  sticking  through  their  skin  !  The  w^eather 
was  still  dubious  when  we  put  to  sea  in  company  with  fifteen  sail,  all 
bound  to  the  westward,  but  we  hoped  the  easterly  wind  would  hold  to 
take  us  across  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  the  worst  bit  of  navigation,  owing  to  its 
fogs,  rips,  reefs,  tides,  and  currents,  to  be  found  anywhei-e  on  the  coast  of 
North  America.  But,  in  fact,  nowhere  does  a  close  inspection  of  the 
ledges  along  the  Nova  Scotia  shore  inspire  one  with  agreeable  sensations, 
nor  are  such  names  as  Ironbound  or  Ragged  Harbor  pleasingly  suggestive. 
I  never  can  pass  that  forbidding  coast  without  thinking  of  some  grim 
monster  showing  his  teeth,  ready  to  crunch  the  bones  of  hapless  victims. 
The  vigor  with  which  the  new  Dominion  has  assumed  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment is  nowhere  more  evident  than  in  the  increased  attention  bestowed 
on  light-houses,  which  have  hitherto  been  infamously  scarce,  considering 
the  character  of  the  coast,  and  have  been  badly  kept  and  lighted. 

During  the  day  we  passed  a  large  ship,  high  and  dry  on  a  reef,  going 
to  pieces.  The  wind  freshened  at  night,  and  we  stood  across  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  in  fine  style.  The  next  morning  it  was  thick  and  nasty,  blowing  a 
gale  of  wind,  with  a  heavy  following  sea.  Wing  and  wing  we  "  kihooted  " 
before  it  under  a  press  of  sail  such  as  only  our  fishermen  indulge  in.  The 
least  carelessness  of  the  steersman  might  have  sent  us  to  the  bottom.  "A 
man  must  have  his  life  insured  who  sails  on  the  An7ia  Maria  to-day," 
said  one  to  me.  At  noon  a  violent  squall  obliged  us  to  take  in  sail.  With 
some  difficulty,  we  took  in  the  mainsail,  and,  jibing  the  foresail,  brought 
the  lively  little  craft  around  just  in  time  to  get  control  of  her,  laying  her 
half  under  water  as  she  came  up  to  the  wind.  We  ran  till  night  under 
close-reefed  foresail,  and  then  hove  to  near  Cashe's  Ledge  till  morning. 
Then  the  wind  shifted  into  south-west,  and  finally  came  howling  out  of 
the  north-west,  and,  as  the  skipper  forcibly  expressed  it,  "  it  everlastingly 
screeched."  We  had  but  one  suit  of  sails ;  they  were  old  and  worn,  and 
the  foresail  split  and  gave  us  some  trouble ;  our  stock  of  provisions  was 


CAPE   BRETON   ISLAND.  231 

rniinino;  low,  and  there  was  some  reason  to  fear  we  should  be  blown  to  the 
eastward  again.  Generally,  onr  fishermen  fare  very  well,  frequently  lay- 
ing in  fresh  provisions  at  the  ports  they  visit.  One  of  the  crew  is  usually 
chosen  as  cook,  and  receives,  like  the  captain,  a  double  share  of  the  catch. 
But  the  staple  article  of  diet  is  pork  and  beans — a  very  savory  dish  if 
properly  cooked.  This  gave  rise  to  the  story  of  a  fishing-schooner,  which 
was  sighted  flying  a  flag  of  distress  by  a  ship  standing  out  to  sea.  They 
ran  down,  and  hailed  her.  The  skipper  replied  that  the  scliooner  was 
still  one  day's  sail  from  port,  and  had  only  one  barrel  of  beans  on  board. 

During  all  these  days  tlie  spinning  of  yarns  went  on  without  intermis- 
sion fore  and  aft,  and  I  gained  new  ideas  of  the  constant  and  almost  in- 
credible perils  to  which  our  fishermen  are  exposed,  especially  on  the 
Georges  and  off  the  Magdalen  Islands.  Many  a  hair-breadth  escape  from 
being  run  down  in  the  fog,  or  from  foundering,  was  narrated.  One  of  our 
crew  had  been  on  board  a  schooner  which  turned  completely  bottom  up, 
and  righted  on  the  other  side,  when  riding  out  a  gale  on  the  Georges 
Shoals.  He  was  on  the  lookout,  and,  seeing  an  innnense  wave  coming, 
pulled  the  slide  over  the  companion-way  and  rushed  below.  Almost  im- 
possible as  it  seems,  it  is  recorded  as  a  true  story  in  the  fishing  annals  of 
Cape  Ann.  Euchre  and  checkers,  which  were  played  on  a  board  carved 
on  the  top  of  a  locker,  and  the  whittling  of  knick-knacks,  went  on  alontj 
with  the  spinning  of  yarns.  It  was  interesting  to  see  how,  through  it  all, 
these  hardy  fellows  managed  to  retain  characteristics  pui-ely  human ;  for 
example,  the  habit  of  croaking,  and  of  finding  fault  with  those  on  \vhom 
the  responsibility  devolved.  Did  tlie  skipper  carry  sail  hard,  they  said  he 
did  not  know  when  to  take  it  in  ;  did  he  prudently  seek  to  spare  the  only 
suit  of  canvas  we  had,  or  avoid  running  on  the  land  in  the  fog,  they  said, 
"  The  worst  fault  a  master  of  a  ship  can  have  is  to  take  sail  in  too  soon." 
Like  unwhipped  school-boys,  they  thought  they  knew  everything,  and,  like 
sailors  in  general,  exercised  little  foresight  or  provision  for  contingencies. 
Of  course,  on  a  vessel  where  all  sailed  on  sliares,  any  regular  discipline 
was  out  of  the  question,  the  authority  of  the  skipper  being  nearly  nominal, 
the  man  making  it  rather  than  receiving  it  from  tlie  oflice. 

Onr  skipper  was  a  man  of  the  most  imperturbable  good-humor,  but  a 
good  seaman,  shrewdly  adapting  himself  to  the  unruly  spirits  he  had  to 
deal  with,  and  generally  exercising  control  without  appeai-ing  to  do  so. 
'"  Come  on,  bullies,  let's  take  a  turn  on  the  main  sheet,"  was  the  usual  form 
of  an  order;  or,  "  Keep  her  off  a  little  mite.  Uncle  Mike  !" 

The  watch  usualW  consisted  of  two  men,  one  at  the  wheel,  and  the 
other  acting  as  lookout,  and  oscillating  between  the  stove  in  the  cabin  and 


232 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


the  bows,  with  a  sti'ong  gravitation  toward  the  former.  The  clock  for- 
ward was  half  an  hour  ahead  of  the  one  aft ;  I  don't  know  whether  the 
fact  was  generally  known,  but  I  think  it  was  known  to  some :  I  observed 
that  some  of  the  watches  were  shorter  than  others. 

One  night,  two  of  the  leading  faultfinders  were  directed  to  tack  ship 

in  their  watch,  there  being  a  heavy 
sea  running  at  the  time.  Three  times 
these  self-sufficient  fellows  tried  to 
bring  the  schooner  about;  three  times 
they  failed,  mouthing  enormous  impre- 
cations, and  with  such  frequent  men- 
tion of  hell  that  I  fancied  I  could 
smell  brimstone.  The  skipper,  mean- 
time, quietly  lay  in  his  bunk,  and  en- 
joyed the  discomfiture  of  his  defamers. 
At  last  he  put  his  head  up  the  com- 
panion -  wa}"  and  said,  "Your  jib  is 
eased  off  too  much ;  haul  down  the 
jib,  and  she'll  come  around  all  right!"' 
They  obeyed,  and  the  schooner  was  off 
on  the  other  tack  at  once.  He  said 
nothing  more,  but  an  hour  after  went 
on  deck  himself,  and  tacked  ship  with 
the  ease  of  a  man  who  knows  what  he  is  about.  The  men  could  say  not  a 
word. 

Another  curious  trait  among  sailors,  especially  noticeable  among  those 
so  little  under  discipline  as  our  fishermen,  is  the  way  they  act  in  emer- 
gencies. The  vessel,  perhaps,  is  threatened  by  a  heavy  squall,  and  sail 
must  be  taken  off  at  once,  or  the  gravest  consequences  may  ensue  in  a 
moment.  One  would  suppose,  therefore,  that  Mdien  the  lives  of  all  on 
board,  including  the  crew  themselves,  are  imperilled,  and  the  quick  orders 
of  the  captain  summon  all  hands  on  deck  without  delay,  they  would  need 
no  further  urging.  Not  a  bit  of  it.  The  first  thing  they  do  is  to  grum- 
ble, "D —  the  weather!  what  the  devil  does  he  want  to  hurry  a  fel- 
low out  of  his  bunk  for?"  Then  they  will  not  stir  till  they  have  arranged 
their  oil-suit,  as  if  it  were  a  dress  suit  for  a  ball ;  after  that,  some  of  them 
must  fill  and  light  their  pipes !  If  the  captain  puts  his  head  down  and 
repeats  the  order,  "  Come  out  of  there,  and  don't  be  all  day  about  it !" 
they  mutter, "  D — d  if  I  will  before  I'm  ready !"  This  does  not  result 
from  superior  courage  or  recklessness  so  much  as  from  a  species  of  pig- 


TAKING     A     SIGHT. 


CAPE   BRETON   ISLAND.  233 

headedness  or  habit;  for  the  same  men  will  he  as  much  appalled  as  other 
men  by  danger  when  they  fairly  realize  it,  or  if  it  be  in  a  form  to  which 
they  are  unaccustomed. 

We  managed,  in  the  teeth  of  a  violent  wind,  to  beat  up  as  far  as  Cape 
Elizabeth,  where  we  found  the  water  a  little  smoother.  But  we  should 
have  kept  on  and  made  a  harbor  in  the  Sheepscot  River,  if  the  wind  had 
not  moderated  after  sunset,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  work  down  to  the  Isles 
of  Shoals,  which  we  passed  at  daybreak.  As  we  nearcd  the  destined  poit, 
razors  and  blacking -brushes  were  brought  out  of  hidden  corners,  and  a 
general  burnishing  followed.  Those  who  had  "boiled  shirts"  actually 
went  through  a  transformation,  when  they  put  them  on  in  exchange  for 
their  heavy  blue  or  red  woollen  shirts.  It  took  us  the  rest  of  the  day  to 
beat  into  Gloucester  under  a  press  of  canvas,  with  a  foot  of  water  in  our 
lee  scuppers,  and  carrying  away  the  maintopmast-sta^'sail  as  we  came 
abreast  of  Norman's  Woe. 

The  good  old  A7i'na  Ilaria  laid  her  bones  on  Newburyport  bar  two 
years  after,  in  1877,  and  poor  Captain  Jewett  has  met  the  fisherman's  fate 
on  the  Grand  Banks. 


234 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE    ISLE    OF  WIGHT. 

AN  evening  in  an  enchanted  region,  gliding  Over  an  enchanted  sea 
toward  an  enchanted  isle,  was  the  fair  night  when  first  I  approached 
the  far-famed  isle  of  beauty  which  lies  on  the  South  of  England's  shore. 
The  stately  line  of  battle-ships  of  other  days,  their  long  tiers  of  port-holes 
lit  up  and  reflected  in  the  still  waters  of  Portsmouth,  lent  magic  to  the 
scene.     Out  of  the  starry  gloom  beyond,  ghost -like  yachts,  one  by  one, 

silently  stole  by,  fanned  by  the  low 
sea-wind.  The  strains  of  martial 
music  floated  out  to  sea,  now  rising, 
now  falling,  in  harmonious  cadences, 
and,  as  we  glided  across  Spithead 
strait, a  calcium-light  suddenly  burst 
at  intervals  across  the  night,  like  a 
noiseless  explosion  of  a  powder-mag- 
azine, revealing  the  secrets  of  the 
darkness,  and  as  suddenly  conceal- 
ing them  again.  The  lights  of  the 
island  we  were  approaching  con- 
stantly grew  more  and  more  dis- 
tinct, wavering  on  the  glassy  floor 
of  the  still  water,  and  the  dark  out- 
lines of  woods  and  hills  became  less 
spectral  and  mysterious,  until,  almost  before  we  were  aware,  we  were 
making  fast  to  a  pier,  and  stepping  ashore  on  tlie  Isle  of  Wight. 

By  the  Romans  the  island  was  called  "  Vectis,"  by  the  Saxons 
"  Wihtea,"  by  the  Celts  "  Gwyth,"  which  means  channel  ;  and  thus  re- 
duced to  its  original  sense,  tlie  name  literally  means  the  Channel  Island. 
By  seamen  it  is  called  "the  AVight."  Well,  after  much  wandering  among 
other  isles  of  the  sea,  I  had  at  last  arrived  at  "  the  Wight,"  and  fortunate- 
ly, as  I  found  when  daylight  came,  had  been  first  introduced  to  it  at  Ryde, 


THE   ISLE    OF  WIGHT. 


235 


whicli  is  a  fittins:  vestibule  throiiii'h  wliicli  to  enter  the  island.  In  former 
years,  before  the  building  of  the  pier,  Ryde  was  accessible  from  the  sea 
scarce  twelve  hours  out  of  tlie  twenty-four,  owing  to  the  long  stretch  of 


muddy  flats  which  lie  more  or  less  exposed  at  low  water.  Passengers 
often  had  to  be  landed,  like  poor  Fielding,  the  inimitable  author  of  "Tom 
Jones,"  on  the  backs  of  sailors.  Later,  a  cart  was  substituted  ;  and,  finally, 
a  pier  was  built.  This,  proving  too  short,  was,  eventually  carried  out  into 
deep  water  to  a  distance  of  half  a  mile.  There  it  terminates  in  a  covered 
platform,  from  which  an  extensive  and  satisfying  prospect  is  obtained  of 
the  northern  coast  of  tlie  island,  from  Seaview  Point  to  Cowes,  of  whicli 
the  central  object  is  Ryde  itself,  reposing  on  a  gentle  slope  embowered 
in  civilized  masses  of  patrician  verdure.  To  the  nortliward  and  eastward 
lie  the  shores  of  the  main-land,  and  the  ships  and  roofs  of  Portsmoutli. 
Around  this  pier-end  tlie  prettiest,  sauciest,  most  bewitching  of  yachts 
collect  during  the  season,  so  in  love  with  their  own  beauty  that  of  a  calm, 
pleasant  morning  they,  swan-like,  gaze  at  themselves  reflected  in  the  bur- 
nished mirror  of  the  bay.  There,  too,  full-cheeked  musicians  blow  magi- 
cal strains  beneath  the  silent  moon,  and  the  fairest  dames  and  damosels, 
and  the  most  high-mettled  aristocrats  of  Rotten  Row,  in  the  jauntiest  of 


236  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

summer  or  yacliting-  rigs,  collect  in  enraptured  pairs  to  repeat  the  old  story 
which  Jessica  and  Lorenzo  rehearsed  in  Venice  ages  ago.  Amidst  this 
romantic  throng  may  be  detected  sometimes  the  thorouglily  prosaic  form 
of  your  genuine  cockney,  and  the  stocky,  broad-collared,  and  wide -trou- 
sered figure  of  an  old  tarpaulin  gazing  knowingly  to  seaward,  or  elbow- 
ing the  crowd  with  the  rolling  movement  of  a  heavy-laden  ship  running 
before  a  gale  of  wind. 

Ryde  Pier  is  one  of  the  rarest  spots  in  Old  England.  Ryde  town  is 
also  a  charming  place  of  residence,  presenting  lanes  hidden  in  shrubbery 
and  flowers,  and  cosy,  often  elegant,  cottages  at  every  turn.  It  also  pos- 
sesses a  yacht-club  building  and  an  art  academy.  A  certain  rustic,  prim- 
itive simplicity  seemed  to  me,  however,  to  cling  to  it  still  when  I  heard 
the  town-crier  going  about  the  streets  in  a  dog-cart,  ringing  a  bell,  and 
shouting,  "A  large  and  valuable  collection  of  water-color  paintings  will  be 

sold  to-day,  at  No. Street."     But  Ryde  is  fast  losing  its  insular 

rusticity,  and  is,  I  fear,  degenerating  more  and  more  into  a  vast  congeries 
of  boaixling-houses  and  hotels,  with  placards  in  every  window,  and  fees 
from  a  ha'penny  upward,  payable  to  every  one  of  whom  you  ma}'  happen 
to  ask  a  simple  question.  Thei'e  is  a  museum  at  Ryde  worth  visiting.  It 
contains  local  antiquities  and  relics,  including  the  ossuary  remains  of  the 
monks  and  founders  of  Quarr  Abbey,  which  once  stood  a  couple  of  miles 
west  of  Ryde.  It  was  a  wealthy  corporation,  owning  lands  in  most  parts 
of  the  island.  The  inmates  waxed  fat  on  the  revenues,  were  noted  for 
their  sharp  practices,  and  for  disturbing  the  domestic  peace  of  the  neigh- 
borhood by  a  lax  interpretation  of  the  seventh  commandment.  At  any 
rate,  the  reputation  of  the  abbey  was  not  savory.  Founded  by  Redvers  de 
Baldwin,  lord  of  the  isle  in  1132,  it  was  abolished  by  Henry  VIII.  Little 
now  remains  to  mark  the  site  of  Quarr  Abbey ;  but  stone  coffins  have  from 
time  to  time  been  revealed,  and  the  spot  is  still  haunted  by  certain  char- 
acteristic legends.  It  is  claimed  that  a  wood  near  the  abbey,  called  El- 
eanor's Grove,  after  the  queen  of  Henry  II.,  was  often  visited  by  her  dur- 
ing her  imprisonment  at  Quarr.  After  her  death  she  was  buried  there  in 
a  coffin  of  gold,  which  is  guarded  from  the  cupidity  of  an  unregenerate 
generation  by  the  potent  spell  of  a  magician. 

The  Isle  of  Wight  is  divided  into  two  grand  geological  divisions — the 
tertiary  eocene,  and  the  cretaceous,  or  chalk,  formation.  The  former  in- 
cludes the  northern  half  of  the  island,  the  latter  the  southern  half.  On 
the  southei'n  coast  are  also  two  narrow,  isolated  strips  of  wealden  strata. 
In  point  of  scenery,  the  southern  portion  is  by  far  the  grandest  and  most 
various  in  its  aspects,  and  toward  that,  therefore,  I  first  directed  my  steps 


THE   ISLE   OF  WIGHT. 


237 


oil  leaving  Rj^de.  In  former  years,  the  stage-coach  was  the  only  and  the 
all-sufficient  public  conveyance  for  the  traveller  who  did  not  care  to  see 
this  fair  isle  on  foot.  But  the  vast  and  constantly  increasing  number  of 
tourists  who  overrun  the  island  has  caused  the  construction  of  two  minia- 
ture railways,  soon  to  be  succeeded  by  others,  until  ultimately  an  iron  net- 
work shall  weave  its  ineslies  over  the  idyllic  vales  of  AVight.  But  the 
pedestrian  will  always  find  the  old  charming  lanes  and  stiles,  and  prefer 
thus  to  see  some  of  the  choicest  nooks  of  the  island.  It  is  a  pleasant 
morning  stroll  to  Brading,  passing  by  the  spot  where  were  laid  the  bod- 
ies raised  from  the  Royal  George. 
Midway  between.  Portsmouth  and 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  not  a  century  ago, 
the  brave  old  line-of-battle  ship  heel- 
ed over  in  a  breeze,  and  went  down 
at  her  anchorage  with  twice  five 
hundred  souls  on  board.  Kempen- 
felt,  the  admiral,  Avas  lost,  with  his 
flag-ship ;  and  Cowper  gave  immor- 
tality to  this  tragedy  of  the  sea  in 
a  few  famous  lines.  A  buoy  now 
marks  the  spot  where  the  Royal 
George  lies  —  the  sands  of  the  sea 
choking  up  her  port -holes,  and  the 
monsters  of  the  deep  toying  with  her 
nn'ghty  skeleton. 

Brading,  a  quaint  little  town,  lies 
at  the  head  of  Brading  Haven,  a 
lake-like  cove,  embayed  among  love- 
ly hills  and  groves — a  most  charming 
scene,  except  at  low  water.  A  stone- 
cased  well  in  the  centre  of  the  port  shows  that  it  was  once  dry  land.  To 
the  outside  world  Brading  is  known  chiefly  as  the  home  of  little  Jane,  the 
Young  Cottager,  whose  simple  and  pious  life  was  described  by  the  Rev. 
Legh  Richmond.  Her  rustic  cottage  still  stands  iii  a  green  lane  at  the 
bottom  of  Brading  Down,  and  her  grave,  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
village  church-yard,  has  been  visited  by  scores  of  thousands.  Legh  Rich- 
mond, who  was  pastor  here  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  not  onl}^ 
achieved  a  wide  fame  by  his  pathetic  rural  narratives,  entitled  "  Tlie  An- 
nals of  the  Poor,"  but  also  wrought  an  influence  for  good  hardly  equalled 
by  any  other  religious  writer  since  the  time  of  John  Bunyan. 


ORANE     OF    THE     \OLNG     COTTAGER 


238 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


But  Brading  has  other  points  of  interest.  The  church,  whicli  lias  re- 
cently been  most  carefully  restored,  is  undoubtedly  of  very  ancient  date. 
It  is  known  that  a  church  existed  here  as  early  as  704,  in  which  Bishop 

Wilfrid  baptized  the  first  Christian 
convert  of  the  island ;  and  there 
seems  nothing  to  disprove  the  fact 
that  the  present  building  either  con- 
tains certain  portions  of  that  primi- 
tive chapel,  or  was  erected  on  its  site 
at  a  remote  period.  Half- way  down 
the  long  street  of  Brading  is  an  open 
space  where  bull-baiting  was  former- 
ly enjoyed  by  the  island  swains;  the 
ring  to  wdiich  the  bull  was  made  fast 
is  still  fixed  in  the  centre  of  the  spot. 
A  well-worn  pair  of  stocks  are  yet 
shown  in  front  of  the  venerable  town- 
hall,  and  some  of  the  diamond-case- 
mented  cottages  exhibit  the  rings  to 
which  tapestries  were  suspended  on 
festal  days  of  yore. 

South  of  Brading,  on  the  Ventnor 
Railway,  is  Sandown,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  most  beautiful  bay  in 
the  whole  island.  As  a  residence,  it  is  chiefly  attractive  for  its  sands,  ad- 
mirably adapted  for  bathing.  But  to  the  lover  of  nature  they  ai-e  sadly 
marred  by  the  inevitable  rows  of  bathing-machines,  which  largely  neutral- 
ize the  eifect  of  the  coast  scenery  at  most  of  the  English  and  Fi-ench  wa- 
tering-places. The  Culver  Cliffs,  perpendicular  walls  of  chalk  washed  by 
the  blue  sea,  add  majesty  to  the  lovely  sweep  of  Sandown  Bay.  Tliat 
notoriously  eccentric  demagogue  of  the  last  century,  John  Wilkes,  owned 
a"villakin,"  as  he  sportively  called  it,  at  Sandown,  where  he  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life.  The  grounds  were  curiously  decorated  with  gro- 
tesque pavilions  and  imitations  of  classic  tombs,  inscribed  to  those  he  most 
admired — not  excluding  himself.  A  pillar,  embowered  in  shrubbery,  bore 
the  epitaph,  "  Carolo  GhurcJdU,,  dlvino  poeta,  amico  juGUiAo^  oivi  oj^tlme 
de  2)atria  merito — To  Charles  Churchill,  the  divine  poet,  the  genial 
friend,  the  citizen  who  has  deserved  well  of  his  country." 

But  Shanklin,  reputed  the  loveliest  of  the  lovely  villages  of  the  isle, 
drew  me  by  its  fame  from  Sandown — Shanklin,  sung  b}'  poets  and  haunt- 
ed by  artists,     Keats  says,  "Shanklin  is  a  most  beautiful  place;   sloping 


r.EGII     RICHMOND. 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


239 


wood  ar.d  meadow  groniid  reach  i-ound  the  Chine,  wliich  is  a  cleft  be- 
tween the  chffs,  of  the  depth  of  nearly  three  hundred  feet."  The  site  of 
the  town  is  deeply  undulating,  presenting  many  quiet  nooks  and  dells, 
wherein  nestle  the  most  charming  of  leafy  cottages,  surrounded  by  dense 
hedges  and  espaliers  tapestried  with  masses  of  flowers — fuchsias,  gerani- 
ums, sweet-peas,  heliotropes,  and  roses,  deftly  interwoven  by  nature  and 
art  combined.  On  the  sea-side  the  village  everywhere  terminates  in  bold 
precipices,  whose  brow  is  parapeted  with  turf,  and  furnished  here  and 
there  with  rustic  seats.  On  the  sands,  at  the  base,  fishermen's  rude  huts, 
fishing-boats,  lobster-baskets,  and  fishing-nets  are  picturesquely  grouped, 
and,  I  regret  to  add,  rows  of  the  inevitable  bathing-machines.  It  is  but 
small  compensating  consolation  to  the  artistic  eye  to  be  assured  that  the 
sandy  floor  is  here  the  finest  on  the  island.  From  the  lofty  slopes  of 
Dunnose  the  prospect  over  Sandown  Bay  offers  one  of  the  loveliest  sea- 
views  to  be  found  on  any  coast,  when  the  skies  are  blue,  flecked  and 
barred  by  the  faint  tracery  of  fleecy,  moveless  summer  clouds,  the  shining 
cliffs  assuming  a  tender  roseate  hue 
in  the  mellow  afternoon  glow,  and 
the  amethystine  sea  enclosing  the 
isle  with  a  line  of  silver  foam,  and 
itself  enclosed  in  the  distance  by  the 
dreamy  coast  of  Old  England,  and 
lit  up  by  the  sails  of  trim  yachts  or 
clippers  fading  away  toward  unseen 
lands. 

But  to  most  people  the  great  at- 
traction of  Shanklin  is  the  Chine. 
The  word  chine  is  a  local  name  ap- 
plied to  deep  grooves  or  clefts  worn 
into  the  sides  of  the  sea-cliffs,  in  the 
course  of  long  ages,  by  streams  seek- 
ing to  merge  their  brief  current  of 
life  with  the  eternity  of  ocean. 
Many  have  been  the  enthusiastic 
lovers  of  nature  who  have  visited 
Shanklin  Chine,  and  have  lived  po- 
etic hours  or  composed  living  vei'se 
in  this  romantic  ravine.  The  steep,  closely  opposing  sides  are  densely 
hung  with  verdure,  and  it  is  certainly  a  very  attractive  spot.  But  I  con- 
fess to  disappointment  when  I  saw  Shanklin  Chine.     The  stream  is  gener- 


JOHN    WILKES. 


240 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


ally  exceedingly  meagre — a  mere  insignificant  thread  dribbling  down  the 
side  of  a  low  precipice,  and  slipping  with  j)roper  humility  over  a  suc- 
cession of  narrow  steps 
or  ledges  toward  the  sea, 
close  at  hand.  It  did  not 
add  to  my  interest  to  find 
that  in  some  places  artifi- 
cial, squarely  cut  slabs  had 
replaced  the  natural  bed 
where  it  had  been  worn 
away.  Tlic  dampness  of 
the  place,  even  in  mid- 
summer, is  quite  repelling; 
and  if  poor  Keats  spent 
much  time  there  when  he 
was  trying  to  recruit  his 
health  at  Shanklin,  it 
must  have  added  to  the 
intensity  of  the  fatal  dis- 
ease which  brought  him 
to  an  early  grave.  I  have 
seen  scores  of  places  of 
the  soi't,  but  much  less 
known,  which  quite  sur- 
pass Shanklin  Chine  in 
beauty  and  impressive- 
ness. 

It  was  with  a  certain 
sneakincr  feelino;  of  rec- 
reancy  to  my  principles 
that  I  stole  into  Yentnor  from  Shanklin  by  the  railwa}^  It  w^as  an  evening 
of  surpassing  loveliness,  the  western  sky  lit  by  the  hyaline  amber  and  gold 
of  warmer  climes,  and  the  crescent  forming  a  silvery  cleft  in  the  twilight 
— fortunately  over  my  right  shoulder — when  suddenly,  with  a  diabolical 
shriek  fi-om  the  engine,  we  were  whisked  out  of  the  glimpses  of  the  moon 
into  the  Plutonian  darkness  of  a  long  and  most  unromantic  tunnel.  AVhcn 
we  at  length  emerged,  and  found  ourselves  in  Yentnor,  and  I  entered  the 
hotel  coach,  the  extraordinary  steepness  of  the  streets  suggested  the  hope 
that  the  steeds  were  not  of  a  frolicsome  nature,  or  we  might  bring  up  on 
the  edge  of  a  precipice,  and  take  a  plunge  of  several  hundred  feet  into 


SHANKLIN    CHINE. 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


241 


the  sea.  But  we  stopped  safe  and  sound  at  the  Crab  and  Lobster,  of 
which  I  can  speak  in  the  most  hearty  terms  of  commendation.  Years 
ago,  ere  Ventnor  had  arrived  at  its  present  importance,  the  Crab  and 
Lobster  was  a  wee  bit  of  a  hostel  nesthng  under  tlie  cliffs,  rioted  for  its 
good  cheer  and  a  thorongli  respectability  which  rendered  it  inaccessible 
to  all  but  respectable  guests.  But  times  changed ;  visitors  increased  in 
such  degree  that  at  last  a  larger  building  was  added  on  to  the  old  inn, 
which,  covered  with  ivy,  clings  to  the  newer  and  more  pretentious  dwell- 
ing. To  make  room  for  the  latter,  the  steep  rock-sides  were  hewn  away. 
Even  now  the  Crab  and  Lobster  is  of  moderate  proportions,  thus  offering 
accommodation  to  a  limited  few,  an  immense  advantage  to  the  visitor,  and, 
in  the  way  it  is  kept,  it  is  truly  a  model  English  inn.  From  the  heights 
immediately  in  the  rear,  reached  by  steep  winding  paths,  where  seats, 
shaded  by  flowering  shrubbery,  are  provided,  a  most  delightful  prospect 
is  obtained  over  isle  and  sea. 

Yentnor  is  situated  on  the  undercliff,  a  narrow,  broken  strip  of  land. 


VENTNOR,  FROM  PULPIT  ROCK. 


half  a  mile  wide  and  seven  miles  long,  from  Luccombe  Chine,  in  the  east, 
to  Blackgang  Chine,  in  the  west.  On  the  nortli  it  is  bounded  by  the 
steep,  lofty  wall  of  Boniface  Down  and  St.  Catherine's  Hill,  springing 

16 


242  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

to  a  height  of  over  eight  hundred  feet.  On  the  south  it  terminates  in 
precipitous  cliffs,  washed  by  the  ocean  surges.  Such  is  a  general  plan 
of  the  undercliff,  which  was  formed  ages  ago  by  the  breaking  away  of 
the  slopes,  undermined,  perhaps,  by  streams  and  rains.  In  dire  confusion, 
the  sliding  mass  rushed  toward  the  sea,  and  the  undercliff  was  the  result. 
But  neither  pen  nor  pencil  can  adequately  portray  the  limitless  variety 
of  forms,  the  exquisite  and  suggestive  beauty,  which  render  the  undercliff 
the  most  enchanting  spot  in  the  island.  It  is  as  if  some  vast  capital  of 
the  giants  of  old  had  been  overthrown,  and  its  palaces  and  towers  mingled 
and  heaped  in  indiscriminate  ruin,  and  then  overgrown  and  beautified 
with  the  rank  vegetation  which  time  throws  like  a  green  shi'oud  over 
the  remains  of  dead  cities.  The  illusion  is  heightened  by  the  cliffs  from 
which  this  landslip  was  detached.  In  many  places  the  jagged  and  ver- 
tical rocks,  sometimes  actually  overhanging  the  road,  bear  the  closest  re- 
semblance in  form  and  color  to  ancient  fortifications  of  stupendous  di- 
mensions. 

So  far,  Nature  has  done  her  part  in  beautifying  this  part  of  the  Isle 
of  Wight ;  while  man,  with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world,  is  doing  his 
best  to  subtract  from  these  attractions.  A  few  cottages  and  country-seats, 
such  as  the  English  know  how  to  create  to  perfection,  did  no  harm  to  the 
undercliff;  they,  perhaps,  added  to  its  beauty  by  the  introduction  of  here 
and  there  a  lovely  garden,  a  Tudor  casement  peeping  out  of  viny  trellises, 
a  few  rosy-cheeked  children  playing  by  the  road-side,  or  some  peerless- 
English  irirl  reclinino;  on  a  s-reen  bank,  or  blendino;  her  evenino-  son<y  with 
the  warbling  of  the  nightingale.  But  alas  for  the  truism,  "  One  may  have 
too  much  of  a  good  thing !"  for  that  is  exactly  the  trouble  with  Ventnor 
just  now.  From  a  humble  hamlet,  reposing  in  the  sweetest  spot  of  Old 
England's  loveliest  isle,  it  has  reached  a  population  of  six  thousand,  which 
is  rapidly  increasing,  with  newspapers,  shops,  hotels,  and  all  tlie  other  ap- 
purtenances of  a  highly  popular  watering-place.  The  rapidly  rising  houses 
are  fast  hiding  some  of  the  characteristic  features  of  the  undercliff,  and 
every  pretty  drive  is  disfigured  by  such  advertisements  as  the  following: 
"  This  fine  lot  of  two  acres  to  let  for  999  years ;"  or,  "  This  noble  estate 
to  let  for  2000  3'ears ;  inquire  of  Find  and  Fleecem,  Cheatem  St.,  London." 
Why  a  piece  of  land  that  is  to  let  for  twenty  centuries  should  not  be  sold 
outright,  it  is  difficult  to  understand.  Imagine  the  bother  of  now  collecting 
rent  from  an  estate  on  a  lease  made  before  Julius  Caesar  was  born.  The 
two  thousand  years  since  that  event  are  not  yet  up.  Besides,  if  titles  and 
contracts  can  be  made  available  for  such  a  period,  it  is  rather  sharp  prac- 
tice to  try  tlie  process  at  the  undercliff,  for  some  of  the  estates  so  leased 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


243 


there  have,  in  all  probability,  but  a  short  tenure  of  life.  The  overhang- 
ing cliffs  are  sure  to  tumble  on  the  estate  before  the  two  thousand  years 
are  out.  A  landslip  in  ISIO  destroyed  thirty  acres;  one,  in  1799,  hurled 
one  hundred  acres  seaward,  and  several  similar  convulsions  have  occurred 
more  recently.  Those  who  would  see  the  cliarms  of  the  undercliff  be- 
fore it  has  been  further  defaced  by  man  should,  therefore,  not  delay  their 
visit  to  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

But,  after  all,  one  cannot  blame  the  good  people  who  flock  to  Ventnor 
during  the  summer  and  winter  for  pleasure  or  health.  He  has  only  him- 
self to  blame  if,  when  he  goes  to 
commune  with  Nature  in  her  happi- 
est moods  and  aspects,  he  allows  his 
reflections  to  be  constantly  disturbed 
by  the  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
chattering  tourists,  swarming  over 
cliff  and  vale  like  flies  over  a  bowl 
of  sugar,  or  geologists  and  mineral- 
ogists chipping  the  rocks  with  their 
hammers,  indifferent  artists  sketch- 
ing in  every  clioice  nook,  and  pho- 
tographers introducing  their  instru- 
ments in  the  most  impressive  spots. 
As  to  invalids,  if  they  must  go  to  the 
Isle  of  Wight  for  their  health,  Vent- 
nor is,  of  course,  the  only  place  for 
them  there,  after  the  autumn  sets  in, 
with  its  southern  exposure  and  pro- 
tection from  northerly  winds.  An 
asylum  for  consumptives,  entitled  the 
National  Cottage  Hospital  for  Con- 
sumptives, has  been  established  at  Ventnor,  consisting  of  a  central  church, 
and  eight  pairs  of  cottages  on  each  side;  it  also  includes  a  hall  for  con- 
certs and  social  entertainments.  The  object  of  this  institution  is  to  fur- 
nish comfortable  lodgings,  with  the  best  medical  attendance,  to  invalids 
unable  to  go  to  better  health  resorts,  or  who  cannot  afford  the  expenses 
of  good  boarding-houses  or  hotels.  It  seems  to  have  been  attended  with 
a  fair  degree  of  success  since  its  foundation  in  1868.  The  manager's  re- 
port for  1876  curiously  sums  up  the  net  gain  of  the  year  as  represented 
by  a  ton  of  flesh.  A  ton  of  flesh  is  not  bad.  If  not  strictly  elegant,  it  is 
expressive,  and  saves  the  bewildered  mind  from  floundering  among  the 


TUB    NAIUUAI.    iNtilV. 


244 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


minute  details  of  most  sanitary  reports.     Is  not  the  hint  worth  following 
in  other  social  statistics?     In  jnnnicipal  reports,  or  a  national  census,  in- 


BONCllLliCU 


stead  of  summing  np  the  number  of  dead  and  born,  or  the  gains  in  popula- 
tion, wh}'  not  simply  and  effectively  set  down  the  net  result  in  tons  of  flesh  ? 

To  the  eastward,  and  immediately  adjoining  Ventnor,  which  has  grown 
up  to  it,  is  the  lovely  hamlet  of  Bonchurch.  In  Monk's  Bay,  by  which 
it  lies,  St.  Boniface  landed,  in  a.d.  755,  and  Bonchurch  is  said  to  be  a  cor- 
ruption of  Bonecerce — the  Church  of  St.  Boniface.  There  is  a  well  called 
after  and  dedicated  to  the  saint  by  a  certain  bishop,  who,  on  a  dark  night 
in  the  nights  long  ago,  lost  his  way  on  the  steep  side  of  Boniface  Down. 
ITis  horse,  and,. in  fact,  the  whole  of  creation,  seemed  slipping  from  mider 
him  as  he  sped  down  the  declivity,  when  the  horse's  hoofs  were  canght 
in  the  cavity  of  the  spring,  which  gave  the  bishop  breathing-time  to  vow 
an  acre  of  ground  to  the  saint  if  he  would  carry  him  safely  to  the  bottom. 
The  saint  was  so  pleased  to  become  a  land-owner  that  he  closed  M'ith  the 
terms,  and  the  bishop  lived  to  keep  his  promise.  The  well,  on  the  day 
of  St.  Boniface,  was  formerly  resorted  to  by  the  village  maidens,  who  hung 
garlands  there.  Divers  superstitions  and  much  love-making  and  junket- 
ing— all  common  features  of  holy  wells^ — were  also  associated  with  this  spot. 

There  are  various  other  attractions  connected  with  the  idyllic  charms 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


245 


of  Bonchurch,  but  tlie  choicest,  sweetest  spot  within  its  bounds  is  its  little 
church  and  chnrch-yard.  This  quaint  little  chapel,  built  four  or  five  cen- 
turies ago,  is  scarce  thirty  feet  long,  but  contains  two  minute  galleries, 
and  is  not  a  bad  specimen  of  the  Norman  style.  A  curious  painting 
of  the  Last  Judgment  adorns  the  wall.  The  little  graveyard,  overlook- 
ing the  sea,  and  overhung  by  ivied  elms,  seems,  in  its  quiet  beauty,  to  rol) 
death  of  some  of  its  bitterness.  Here  lie  the  remains  of  the  Kev.  Wil- 
liam Adams,  author  of  "  The  Shadow  of  the  Cross."  John  Sterling  sleeps 
close  by,  poet,  prose-writer,  novelist,  and  conversationalist,  who  died  aged 
tliirty-eiglit,  according  to  the  tombstone,  and  in  his  day  was  highly  appre- 
ciated by  certain  cultivated  minds — not  so  much,  it  would  seem,  for  any- 
thing lie  actually  acln'evcd  as  for  the  general  sum  of  his  powers  and  the 


.^ 


^t3r 


t.f^ 


\  m   ^  ^^^M:' 


THE    WELL    OF    ST.    LAWRENCE. 


impression  of  possible  greatness.     A  grave  of  more  recent  and  melancholy 
interest  is  that  of  Emily  CowperColes,  who  died  in  1876.     She  was  the 


246 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


A    CliAB-NITONEK. 


widow  of  Captain  Cowper-Coles,  who,  on  a  wild  night  off  the  coast  of 
Portno-al,  went  down  with  five  hundred  souls  in  the  famous,  ill-fated 
iron-clad  Cajytcdn,  of  which  he  was  the  builder. 

To  describe  all  the  delightfullj^  rui-al  w^alks  and  coignes  of  vantage 

-_^^^-_^— -  ,______^__--r=^r^^ =-^-1   which    offer   pleasing   views    in    the 

"^^^^^  ~       ~  "      "^^~  ~       '   neighborhood     of     Bonchurch     and 

Ventnor  would  be  a  tedious  task — 
they  are  so  numerous.  But  by  keep- 
ins:  on  to  the  westward  along  the 
undercliff,  one  comes  to  the  minia- 
ture chapel  of  St.  Lawrence,  said  to 
be  the  smallest  in  Great  Britain,  and 
a  well  dedicated  to  the  same  lazy 
saint.  Thence  it  is  a  pleasant  stroll 
to  St.  Catherine's  Point — how  the 
saints  do  abound  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight !  On  this  headland  is  a  hand- 
some light -house,  whose  lantern  is 
174  feet  above  the  ocean.  Niton,  or  Crab  Niton,  just  beyond,  noted  for 
its  Crustacea,  is  attractive  for  its  charming  country-seats,  and  is  also  the 
scene  of  an  interesting  historical  incident.  Admiral  Hopson,  who  was 
born  at  Bonchurch,  was  apprenticed  to  a  tailor  at  Niton,  when  an  Eng- 
lish squadron  was  seen  manoeuvring  off  the  coast.  The  Anglo-Saxon 
love  of  the  sea  suddenly  smote  his  heart.  He  rushed  to  the  beach,  sprung 
into  a  boat,  rowed  off  to  the  fleet,  and  was  taken  on  board.  An  engage- 
ment with  tlie  French  soon  after  occurring,  the  lad  is  said  to  have  achieved 
distinction,  and  hastened  the  defeat  of  their  fleet  by  springing  from  the 
main-yard  into  the  enemy's  rigging,  and,  under  cover  of  the  smoke,  tear- 
ing down  their  colors.  Whatever  be  the  truth  of  this  not  impossible  feat, 
it  is  quite  true  that  he  was  promoted  early,  and  eventually  reached  the 
highest  rank  in  the  British  navy  by  his  courage  and  skill. 

Beyond  Niton,  we  come  to  the  Black  Gang  Chine,  a  grim  abyss,  over 
whose  frowning  edge  a  stream  spills  its  wavering  torrent  into  the  surging 
vortex  below,  where  the  restless  ocean  forever  foams  and  thunders.  From 
here,  by  coach  or  on  foot,  sometimes  by  the  margin  of  lofty  sea-cliffs,  some- 
times by  the  most  home-like  and  tidy  farm-houses  and  hamlets  imagina- 
ble, we  come  to  Brixton.  Frequently,  in  the  green  lanes,  one  meets  groups 
of  flaxen-haired,  plump-cheeked,  and  rosy  urchins  and  girlikins,  such  as 
Birket  Foster  delights  to  paint — the  future  hope  and  strength  of  the  land 
of  Shakspeare  and  Cromwell. 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


247 


Brixton,  or  Brightstone,  has  within  its  bounds  a  typical  English  village 
church  in  good  preservation.  The  low,  square,  turreted  tower,  with  its 
peaked  roof,  is  singularly  picturesque.  The  original  Norman  arcade  has 
recently  been  restored.  In  this  little  church  once  ministered  those  two 
good  men,  Thomas  Iven,  the  religious  poet,  and  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells, 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  Samuel  Wilberforce,  late  Bishop  of  Win- 
chester. 

Passing  by  Brooke,  the  parish  of  Freshwater  is  reached,  which,  within 
its  brief  limits,  contains  some  of  the  grandest  coast  scenery  in  Great  Brit- 
ain. Freshwater  is  a  small  peninsula  formed  by  the  Yar  River,  which 
takes  its  rise  within  a  few  rods  of  the  southern  shore,  and  runs  north  into 
the  Solent,  where  lies  Yarmoutli  town.  This  little  peninsula  trends  off 
to  a  point  which  terminates  with  the  famous  Needles.  On  the  south  is 
Freshwater  Bay,  a  little  biglit,  with  a  gray  beach  enclosed  at  either  end  by 
rugged  cliffs  and  some  bold  rocks.  One  of  these,  rising  hugely  out  of  the 
surf,  is  pierced  by  a  Gothic-like  arch.  Here,  also,  is  the  delightfully  rural 
village  of  Freshwater,  which  is,  however,  fast  losing  its  primitive  quiet  and 


BLACK    GANG    CHINE. 


beauty  before  the  invasion  of  a  horde  of  tourists,  and  the  jejune  rawness 
of  the  frequent  new  houses  of  a  rapidly  growing  population.  Faringford, 
Tennyson's  famous  residence,  is  here ;  but  it  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that 
the  poet  has  at  last  fled  from  a  spot  which  has  lost  the  sea-side  seclusion 


248 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


which  gave  it  such  attractiveness.     Ere  long  there  will  be  a  railroad  be- 
tween this  place  and  Newport. 

Beyond  Freshwater  Bay  is  Scratchell's  Bay,  a  cove  at  the  extreme  west- 


FAETNGFORD,    THE    KESIDKXf'E     OK     ALFKED    TENNYSON. 


ern  end  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  chalk  cliffs  here  soar  to  over  six  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  bidding  defiance  to  the  ocean  with  aspect  austere 
and  sublime.  A  cave  or  arch,  three  hundred  feet  high,  at  the  base  of  this 
stupendous  wall,  adds  to  the  grandeur  of  this  magnificent  scene,  which  is 
fitly  terminated  by  the  immense  savage  rocks  called  the  Needles.  They 
are  five  in  number,  but  only  three  of  them  are  conspicuous.  On  the  out- 
ermost stands  a  lofty  light-house,  built  to  supersede  an  older  structure 
which  stands  on  the  higher  cliffs,  but  was  found  to  be  too  often  enveloped 
in  mists  to  be  of  service  to  the  mariner.  These  cliffs  are  haunted  by  in- 
numerable sea-birds,  and  some  of  the  adventurous  islanders  swing  them- 
selves over  the  edge  by  ropes,  and,  dangling  in  mid-air,  search  the  crannies 
for  eggs,  which  are  accounted  a  delicacy.  A  cool  head  and  a  strong  grip 
are  the  requisites  in  a  business  which  must  continue  a  monopoly  for  some 
ages  to  come.  The  pursuit  is  not  likely  to  suffer  from  competition,  that 
blessing  of  the  consumer,  and  bane  of  the  producer. 

Passing  around  the  Needles,  we  enter  Alum  Bay,  which  is  encircled  by 
tremendous  precipices  ranged  with  a  sort  of  artificial  regularity,  like  the 
segment  of  an  amphitheatre.  But  the  severe  sublimity  of  the  scene  is  re- 
lieved by  the  surprising  variety  of  colors  in  the  cliffs.  By  a  singular  geo- 
logical freak,  the  pearly -gray  monotony  of  chalk  is  relieved  by  vertical 
strata  of  sand,  clays,  or  marls,  inlaid,  mosaic-like,  on  the  stupendous  mass 
in  narrow  but  distinct  stripes  of  red,  black,  white,  blue,  green,  or  yellow. 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


249 


Tliese  tints  are  liarmonioiisly  blended  by  the  soft  light  of  evening  into  a 
picture  of  extraordinary  beauty. 

Going  from  Freshwater  to  Newport,  by  rolling  downs,  overgrown  with 
swaying  harvests,  one  passes,  by  an  easy  transition,  from  the  grander  as- 
pects of  nature  to  the  alluring  charms  of  a  shire  town  reposing  in  a  happy 
valley,  by  a  tranquil  river,  and  hallowed  by  the  historic  associations  of 
other  times.  The  Avooded  coast  of  Hampshire  is  visible  on  the  left,  under 
the  setting  sun,  as  one  crosses  the  Yar  River,  and  Hurst  Castle  on  the  end 
of  a  spit,  which,  like  a  breakwater,  lies  across  the  mouth  of  the  Solent,  and 
reduces  the  channel  to  scarce  half  a  mile  in  width.  Newport  lies  near 
the  centre  of  the  island,  where  the  Medina  P^iver,  a  brief  little  stream,  be- 
comes an  estuary,  subject  to  the  tides,  and  navigable  to  small  craft.  A 
Roman  origin  is  claimed  for  Newport,  with  some  plansibility.  That  the 
Romans  once  held  and  dwelt  in  the  place  is  beyond  question — the  tessel- 
lated floor  of  a  Roman  villa  still  exists  in  the  vicinity — but  that  they  were 


■UATCIIELL  ; 


the  original  founders  admits  of  doubt.  In  such  misty  problems  as  this, 
win'  not  follow  the  bold  example  of  the  Dutch  chronicler  who  began  a  his- 
tory of  Holland  by  saying,  "Noah  was  the  flrst  Dutchman  ?'' 


250  THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 

Newport  is  a  tliriving  place,  more  intent  on  the  present  than  the  past, 
presenting  a  bustling  appearance  on  Saturdays,  when  a  market  or  fair  is 
held,  to  which  the  neighboring  farmers  flock.  The  chief  objects  which 
the  fair  left  on  my  memory  were  buxom  girls  selling  chapbooks,  rustics 
swollen  with  overmuch  small-beer,  and  proportionately  pugnacious,  strap- 
ping redcoats  elbowing  the  crowd,  restive  cobs  put  through  their  paces 
before  customers  incredulous  of  their  good  points,  and  lastly,  but  not 
leastly,  a  pig  determined  to  make  a  noise  in  the  world,  whose  erratic 
obstinacy  aroused  the  mirth  of  even  the  most  stolid  countryman.  New- 
port is  the  birthplace  of  Sir  Thomas  Fleming,  who  was  Lord  Chief-Justice 
of  England  under  James  I.  Until  1853  there  was  a  very  interesting  par- 
ish church  there,  dedicated  to  St.  Thomas  a  Becket.  But  in  that  year  the 
decay  of  the  venerable  building  made  it  necessary  to  demolish  it,  and  an- 
other edifice  was  erected  on  the  old  site,  after  the  early  English  decorated 
style.  In  the  new  building  several  interesting  monuments  were  retained 
that  had  been  in  the  church  it  replaced,  including  a  very  curious  pulpit, 
carved  by  Thomas  Caper,  in  1630,  who  has  hieroglyphically  placed  his 
name  upon  it  in  the  form  of  an  antic  goat  supposed  to  sj'inbolize  the  word 
caper.  The  pulpit  is  divided  into  a  double  row  of  emblematical  figures 
in  bas-relief,  and  on  the  soundiug-board  is  wrought  the  gilded  inscrip- 
tion, "  Cry  aloud  and  spare  not ;  lift  up  the  voice  like  a  trumpet." 

Another  deeply  interesting  object  in  this  church  is  Marochetti's  beau- 
tiful monument  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth.  It  was  erected  at  the  expense 
of  the  Queen.  The  princess  is  represented  in  the  position  in  which  she 
died,  reclining  on  her  side,  resting  her  cheek  on  the  Bible  given  to  her 
by  her  royal  father  at  the  last  interview  before  his  execution.  The  like- 
ness is  from  a  portrait  still  existing.  The  inscription  runs  as  follows : 
"  To  the  memory  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Charles  I.,  who 
died  at  Carisbrooke  Castle,  on  Sunday,  September  Sth,  1650,  and  is  in- 
terred beneath  the  chancel  of  this  church,  this  monument  is  erected — a 
token  of  respect  for  her  virtues  and  of  sympathy  for  her  misfortunes — 
by  Victoria  R.,  1856." 

The  princess  died  at  Carisbrooke  Castle,  where  the  last  weeks  of  her 
young  life  were  passed.  A  few  days  after  her  arrival  there  she  was  over- 
taken by  a  sudden  shower  when  playing  at  bowls  ;  a  rapid  illness  followed, 
of  which  she  died  in  a  fortnight,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  She  seems 
to  have  been  a  very  amiable  character.  She  left  a  simple  but  affecting 
account  of  her  royal  father's  last  farewell. 

Carisbrooke  Castle  is  but  a  short  mile  from  Newport,  on  the  edge 
of  the  villaire  of  Carisbrooke.     The  fortifications  crown  the  crest  of  a 


THE   ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 


251 


steo})  hill,  which  seems  as  if  it  had  hecn  formed  expressly  for  such  a  pict- 
uresque pile.  By  a  winding,  leafy  foot-path,  one  apj)roaeh6S  the  impos- 
ing entrance,  a  lofty  archway  bearing  the  initials  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
and  the  date  1598.  The  turf -carpeted  moat  is  crossed  by  a  massive 
stone  bridge,  leading  to  the  noble  barbacan  erected  by  Antony  Woodville. 
It  is  composed  of  two  ponderous  but  elegant  round  towers,  pierced  witli 
machicolations.  The  curtain  which  joins  them  is  grooved  for  two  port- 
cullises, and  bears  the  rose  of  the  house  of  York  and  the  Woodville 
escutcheon.  Passing  through  this  stately  and  venerable  gate -way,  one 
enters  the  spacious  court-yard  of  the  castle,  and  finds  himself  surrounded 
by  an  unbroken  circuit  of  brown,  mouldering  walls,  profusely  draped  with 
ivy.  On  the  left  are  the  apartments  occupied  by  Charles  I.  The  roof 
has  fallen  in,  but  the  fireplaces  are  still  distinctly  visible,  and  the  divis- 
ions which  marked  his  dining- hall  and  bedchamber.  The  window  out 
of  which  he  tried  to  escape  is  filled   up  with  masonry,  but  the  original 


TOMH    OF    TUB    PIUNCKSS    ELIZABETH. 


outline  remains.  Climbing  up  to  the  summit  of  the  barbican,  the  long, 
narrow  walk  along  the  ramparts  leads  one  to  the  keep,  on  the  north-east 
angle  of  the  castle,  said  to  stand  on  an  artificial  mound.  It  is  an  exceed- 
ingly venerable  pile,  erected  by  the  Normans.  They  have  seemingly 
wrought  into  it  their  sturd}"  and  determined  character.  Like  a  sentinel 
who  steadfastly  remains  at  his  post  when  all  his  comrades  are  gone,  it 
towers  above  the  land,  grim  and  immovable,  to  guard  the  trophies  of  a 
race  that  long  since  passed  away  to  the  halls  of  oblivion.  A  light-house 
on  a  stormy  coast,  it  braves  alone  the  surges  of  ages,  while  from  winter 
to  winter  wreck  after  wreck  sweeps  by.     Its  own  turn  must  come  at  last. 


252 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


A  fliglit  of  seventy -four  marble  steps,  excessively  steep,  narrow,  and 
worn,  leads  to  the  platform,  which  is  guarded  by  a  gate  grooved  for  a 
portcullis.  From  thence  is  obtained  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  beau- 
tiful prospects  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.     In  former  years  the  landscape  was 


CARISBROOKE     CASTLE. 


so  covered  with  forests,  that  it  was  said  a  squirrel  could  go  from  Caris- 
brooke  to  Gurnard  Bay  without  touching  ground ;  but  now  mucli  of  the 
larger  portion  of  the  island  is  bare,  here  and  there  embossed  with  clum})s 
of  massive  elms  and  limes,  but  generally  devoted  to  agriculture  and  past- 
urage. Immediately  below  the  keep,  and  entirely  surrounding  the  an- 
cient mural  fortifications  of  Carisbrooke,  are  the  works  thrown  up  at  the 
time  of  the  S])anish  Armada,  modelled  on  the  plan  of  those  erected  at 
Antwerp  by  Italian  engineers.  They  have  undergone  little  modification 
since,  but  are  well  turfed  and  neatly  kept.  It  is  not  to  the  credit  of  the 
English  Government  that  the  original  castle  is  in  such  a  dilapidated  con- 
dition. To  be  sure,  it  is  thus  more  picturesque;  but  unless  more  care  of 
this  majestic  and  interesting  relic  of  past  ages  is  better  guarded  in  future 
from  the  gnawing  tooth  of  time,  coming  generations  will  have  just  riglit 
to  murmur  at  a  parsimony  which  allows  one  of  the  most  impressive  and 
instructive  monuments  in  Europe  to  slip  into  annihilation. 

The  remains  of  the  cliapel  -are  worth  noticing,  although  tliey  do  not 
date  back  of  the  last  century,  having  been  erected  on  the  site  of  a  much 
older  structure.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  picnic  parties  taking  tea  un- 
der tlie  trees  which  overtop  the  roofless  fane.  The  building  formerly 
occupied  by  the  governor  of  the  castle  is  very  old,  including  within  its 
walls  the  chapel  of  Isabella  de  Fortibus.     But  it  has  been  so  repaired, 


THE  ISLE   OF   WItillT.  253 

altered,  and  restored  from  time  to  time  as  liardly  to  be  in  keeping  Avitli 
the  antique  ruins  by  which  it  is  surrounded.  There  are  two  wells  of  great 
depth  in  the  castle ;  the  one  in  the  donjon  is  fabulously  deep,  but  being 
choked  up  with  stones,  one  must  be  content  to  accept  the  current  state- 
ments without  question.  The  other  well  is  144  feet  deep — quite  suffi- 
cient, one  would  think;  but  tlie  vii^itor  is  liable  to  be  informed  that  it  is 
300  feet.  It  is  covered  by  a  room,  in  one  side  of  which  is  a  very  large 
tread-wheel.  A  venerable  donkey  is  introduced  on  the  scene;  he  walks 
into  the  wJieel  with  deliberation,  and,  the  while  inquisitively  eying  the 
by-standers,  draws  up  the  bucket.  Ko  sooner  does  it  reach  the  curb  than 
he  makes  an  abortive  attempt  to  bray ;  but  old  age  has  impaired  his  once 
tuneful  throat.  He  has  been  employed  at  this  not  severely  intellectual 
occupation  for  thirty-three  years.  Several  donkeys  have  served  before 
him — one  for  thirty  years,  and  two  others  for  over  forty  years  each.  Ro- 
tation in  office  does  not  seem  to  be  common  at  Carisbrooke.  Office-seek- 
ers will  therefore  find  it  useless  to  ap[)ly. 

Many  interesting  historical  incidents  are  associated  with  Carisbrooke 
Castle,  but  none  more  interesting  than  the  imprisonment  of  Charles  I. 
within  its  walls.  Contrary  to  the  general  opinion,  that  unfortunate  mon- 
arch was  not  sent  to  Carisbrooke  by  Parliament,  but  went  there  of  his 
own  accord,  as  to  a  safe  asylum  from  his  enforced  confinement  at  Hamp- 
ton Court.  Restive  under  restraint,  and  perhaps  apprehending  assassina- 
tion from  poison  or  the  dagger.  King  Charles  contrived  to  elude  his  guard, 
and  fled  to  Titchfield  House,  near  the  southern  coast,  where  he  was  hos- 
pitably received  and  concealed.  Thence  he  despatched  messengers  to 
Colonel  Hammond,  the  governor  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  in  w^hose  well- 
known  character  for  kindliness,  and  moderation,  and  honor  he  placed  re- 
liance. Hammond  returned  with  them  to  Titchfield  House,  and  the  king 
concluded  then  to  place  himself  under  his  protection,  trusting  for  his 
favorable  interposition  between  Parliament  and  its  captive.  Accordingly 
he  crossed  the  Solent,  and  entered  the  stern  walls  of  Carisbrooke.  But 
the  Parliamentary  leaders,  having  the  king  once  more  within  their  grip, 
were  not  minded  to  release  him,  and  Colonel  Hammond  received  strict 
orders,  which  made  him  answerable  for  the  possession  of  Charles.  How- 
ever, he  treated  the  king  with  much  kindness,  allowing  him  large  liberty, 
even  to  hunting  in  the  neighboring  forests.  But  after  the  king's  first  at- 
tempt to  escape,  he  was  brought  under  much  closer  surveillance.  Henry 
Firebrace,  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  king's  household,  devised  a  plan  for 
escape  by  entering  into  communication  with  Captain  Titus,  one  of  the 
wardens,  who  was  secretly  a  royalist.     A  system  of  correspondence  was 


254 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


contrived,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  on  a  concerted  night  Charles 
should  let  himself  down  from  the  window  of  his  chamber.  Horses  would 
be  in  waiting  to  carry  him  to  the  coast.  He  was  advised  to  cut  the  bars 
of  the  window  with  aquafortis  and  a  file,  but  maintained  that  where  his 
head  could  pass  his  body  could  follow.  All  was  in  readiness  when  the 
appointed  hour  arrived,  and  Firebrace,  by  a  concerted  signal,  flung  a  stone 
ao-ainst  the  window.  The  king  was  to  descend,  seated  on  a  crossbar  at- 
tached to  the  end  of  a  rope,  and  he  now  proceeded  to  pass  out  of  the 
window ;  but  his  shoulders  stuck  fast,  and  for  some  moments  he  was  in 
a  very  painful  position.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  precaution  he  had  taken 
of  fastening  a  cord  to  a  staple  withhi,  he  would  have  been  unable  to  with- 
draw himself  from  this  awkward  situation.  Firebrace  lieard  him  groan, 
and  soon  after  Charles  put  a  candle  in  the  window,  indicating  the  failure 
of  the  scheme.    One  need  not  necessarily  be  a  royalist  or  an  Episcopalian  in 

order  to  sympathize  deeply  with  this 
ill-fated  but  heroic  monarch  in  his 
misfortunes.  By  a  mysterious  law 
of  Providence,  it  was  his  destiny  to 
expiate  the  crimes  of  his  predeces- 
sors by  being  placed  in  a  false  posi- 
tion, with  which  he  was  incapable  of 
coping  successfully.  He  was  made 
the  scape- goat  for  the  sins  of  Ed- 
ward IV.,  Henry  VIH.,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, and  James  I.  His  public  er- 
rors were  the  results  of  education 
or  incapacity  to  deal  with  a  great 
"*''""'"^-  crisis.     In  private  life  and  character, 

he  surpassed  his  predecessors  and  most  of  his  successors. 

A  pleasant  stroll  of  three  or  four  miles  from  Newport  takes  one  to 
the  peaceful  vale  and  -village  of  Arreton,  the  scene  of  a  simpler,  yet  not 
less  instructive,  drama  than  that  of  Carisbrooke.  There  still  stands  the 
picturesque  cottage  of  Elizabeth  Walbridge,  the  "Dairyman's  Daughter," 
whose  story  is  so  beautifully  told  by  Legh  Eichmond.  Her  grave  is  in 
the  village  church-yard,  from  which  her  cottage  is  somewhat  over  a  mile 
distant ;  the  headstone  bears  a  beautiful  tribute  to  her  memory. 

After  seeing  Newport  and  Carisbrooke,  one  naturally  and  rightfully 
concludes  that  to  linger  long  at  Cowes,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Medina,  is 
of  little  advantage,  unless  he  is  of  a  yachting  turn.  West  Cowes  Castle, 
built  by  Henry  VIH.  out  of  the  ruins  of  Beaulieu  Priory,  was,  in  1651, 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT.  255 

the  prison  of  Davenaiit,  the  father  of  English  opera.  In  1856  it  was 
sold  to  the  Royal  Yacht  Club,  who  employ  its  battery  for  firing  yachting 
salutes.  Tlie  Royal  Yacht  Club  has  its  rendezvous  at  Cowes,  and  includes 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  crack  yachts  on  its  rolls.  The  annual  regatta 
occurs  in  the  third  week  in  August,  and  the  plate  is  given  by  Her  Majesty. 
East  Cowes,  on  the  highlands,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Medina  River,  is 
the  seat  of  some  handsome  villas.  Here,  too,  is  Osborne,  one  of  the  fa- 
vorite residences  of  tlie  Queen,  an  elegant  and  imposing  edifice  after  the 
Palladian  style.  Connected  with  the  extensive  grounds  is  the  model  farm 
which  was  one  of  the  hobbies  of  the  late  Prince  Consort.  But  the  public 
is  never  admitted  to- the  palace  or  gardens,  and  one  can  only  speak  of 
Osborne  from  hearsay. 

At  the  north  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  the  waters  of  the  Solent  and  Spit- 
head  unite  in  what  is  called  Soutliampton  Water,  the  beautiful  channel 
which  leads  np  to  Southampton.  It  was  on  a  charming  daj-,  after  gaz- 
ing for  many  liours  at  the  graceful  yachts  lying  at  Cowes,  drying  their 
canvas  or  gliding  from  point  to  point,  that  I  reluctantly  took  the  steamer, 
and  landed  at  Southampton,  thirteen  miles  away. 


APPENDIX. 


ON  THE  ADVANTAGES  OF  SMALL  ISLANDS,  ESPECIALLY  ATLANTIC 

ISLANDS. 

The  advantages  of  islands,  especially  small  ones,  for  purposes  of  health  or  pleas- 
ure, were  not  as  yet  clearly  perceived  in  the  time  of  Sancho  Panza.  But  with 
the  good  sense  and  shrewdness  whicli  were  so  often  apparent  through  his  rustic  sim- 
plicity and  clownish  ignorance,  he  early  displayed  an  admirable  perception  of  the 
value  of  islands  as  playing  an  important  part  in  the  economy  of  human  affairs.  To 
be  sure,  the  island  of  which  he  eventually  became  the  governor  was  not  exactly  the 
sort  of  island  included  as  such  under  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term ;  but 
Sancho  was  correct  in  his  apprehension  of  the  principle  involved.  It  was  for  an 
island,  and  not  for  a  continent,  that  he  sighed.  And  he  was  abetted  in  his  insular 
aspirations  by  no  less  a  traveller,  adventurer,  and  ornament  of  chivalry  than  Don 
Quixote  himself,  through  whose  influence  Sancho  became  the  governor  of  an  island 
so  called  for  euphony. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  love  for  islands,  and  especially  for  small  islands,  is 
rational  and  improving.  It  enables  one  to  gratify  the  roving  propensity,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  combine  with  it  the  attainment  of  information,  breadth  and  catho- 
licity in  judging  men,  and  thoroughness  in  the  pursuit  of  a  given  end.  That  thor- 
oughness may  be  one  of  the  results  of  visiting  small  islands  is  almost  self-evident, 
but,  strange  to  say,  some  may  be  found  who  doubt  it ;  and  yet  is  it  not  indubitable, 
for  the  following  reasons?  Every  island,  however  small,  is  a  distinct  microcosm  or 
community,  with  people,  customs,  climate,  laws,  and  geographical  features  peculiar 
to  itself,  and  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world  with  entire  distinctness  by  the 
water  which  isolates  it.  Now,  we  will  suppose  that  a  traveller  or  scientist  undertakes 
to  master  the  various  physical,  historical,  and  social  features  of  France  or  Germany, 
or  any  other  Continental  country.  But  does  he  not  soon  find  that,  to  acquire  a 
broad,  intelligent,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  that  country,  he  must  devote  to  it 
many  years,  and  possibly  a  lifetime,  and  will  even  at  the  last  feel  how  much  yet 
remains  for  others  to  discover  and  map  out  in  the  same  inexhaustible  field? 

But  given  an  island  of  the  size  of  Madeira  or  New  Providence,  and  while  the 
traveller  may  modestly  grant  that,  after  carefully  investigating  it,  there  is  still  much 

17 


258  APPENDIX. 

to  be  learned  about  it,  yet  lie  can  honestly  claim,  on  the  other  hand,  that  in  a  few 
weeks  or  months  he  has  been  able  to  obtain  a  better  general  idea  of  it,  has  been 
able  better  to  comprehend  it  as  a  distinct  entity,  than  he  could  understand  the  char- 
acter and  institutions  of  Germany,  or  France,  or  Russia  in  a  lifetime.  Hence  fol- 
lows an  incentive  to  thoroughness,  besides  a  greater  satisfaction  in  the  pursuit  of  a 
subject  which  may  be  acquired  with  a  certain  rounded  completeness  within  a  reason- 
able period,  thus  enabling  the  traveller  to  turn  with  fresh  zest  to  another  object 
before  he  has  become  wearied  with  effort  too  long  sustained  in  one  direction. 

^hus  far  as  regards  the  advantages  of  small  islands  in  general,  and  the  attrac- 
tions they  offer  to  the  tourist  or  the  scientist.  But  many  small  islands  possess  still 
another  advantage  over  a  continent,  in  that  they  offer  superior  opportunities  for 
improvement  to  invalids,  who  are  obliged,  on  account  of  chronic  disease,  to  leave 
their  homes  in  search  of  a  health  resort.  No  one  will  dispute  the  fact  that  sea  air 
is,  on  the  whole,  the  most  fraught  with  tonic  qualities  of  any,  although  sometimes  it 
needs  to  be  warmed  by  a  southern  sun  to  graduate  it  to  the  wasted  strength  of  the 
consumptive.  Of  course  the  best  way  to  obtain  it  is  on  a  ship  at  sea.  But  this  to 
many  is  impossible,  owing  to  sea-sickness.  A  small  island  is,  therefore,  the  next 
best  thing,  other  things  being  equal.  And  the  smaller  the  island,  the  greater  the 
advantage;  for  then  the  wind  everywhere  comes  in  a  more  direct  manner  off  the 
sea,  laden  with  its  tonic  qualities.  By  the  same  reasoning,  the  climate  on  a  small 
island  is  much  less  liable  to  variations  and  extremes,  for  sea  air  is  always  more 
equable  than  land  air,  and  the  extremes  of  temperature  are  much  less  violent  in  the 
same  latitude  on  the  sea  than  on  the  land.  If  to  this  greater  evenness  of  tempera- 
ture is  added  the  unchangeable,  scarcely  varying  character  imparted  to  a  climate  by 
the  trade-winds  in  a  latitude  free  from  extreme  heat  the  whole  or  half  of  the  year, 
on  a  small  island,  we  have,  at  last,  a  climate  that  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  can  be 
anywhere  found  for  meeting  the  conditions  requisite  to  restoration  of  health. 

Thus  we  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  a  small  island  offeis,  in  the  first  place, 
peculiar  and  superior  advantages  to  the  tourist  and  the  seeker  after  rational 
entertainment  and  instruction.  In  addition  to  this,  and  of  still  greater  importance, 
we  find  that  small  islands  within  certain  latitudes,  and  according  to  the  season  of 
the  year,  afford  to  the  invalid  the  advantages  of  a  tonic  air  and  an  equability  of 
temperature  superior  to  anything  which  can  be  obtained  on  a  continent,  even  along 
its  sea-coast.  Thus,  during  the  winter  solstice  the  Bahamas  are  infinitely  to  be 
preferred  to  the  neighboring  health  resorts  of  Florida,  where  a  weeping  sun  and  a 
capricious  temperature  often  lead  the  invalid  to  curse  the  day  that  ever  he  turned 
toward  the  flowery  peninsula. 

We  find,  further,  that  of  those  islands  in  the  North  Atlantic  which  are  free  from 
yellow  fever  or  endemic  pests,  those  take  the  precedence  which  are  Avithin  the 
beneficent  influence  of  the  trade-winds,  those  delicious  breezes  which  seem  by  their 
regularity  to  give  such  an  idea  of  permanence  to  life,  wafting  away  regrets  for  the 
past  and  unconcern  for  the  future,  and  magically  luring  the  soul  to  dwell  content 
with  the  dreamy  days  as  they  come  and  go,  and  simply  enjoy  the  enormous  luxury 


APPENDIX.  259 

of  being.  It  follows  that  those  among  the  trade-wind  islands,  on  which  the  invalid 
can  live  the  year  round  with  beneficial  and  permanent  results,  are  the  most  desirable 
spots  on  the  globe  as  health  resorts. 

We  are  thus  able  to  form  a  distinct  classification  of  the  sanitary  islands  in  the 
Xorth  Atlantic,  and  can  state  with  confidence  the  advantages  of  each.  First  amonf 
the  trade-wind  islands  are  Teneriffe  and  Madeira,  where  the  invalid  can  stay  with 
the  best  results  during  the  whole  year.  The  valley  of  Orotava,  in  Teneriife,  combines 
more  climatic  advantages  than  any  other  island  spot  in  the  Atlantic,  the  variations 
of  temperature  being  excessively  slight,  the  influence  of  the  main-land  impercepti- 
ble, and  the  air  dry  without  the  parched  aridity  of  the  desert.  Madeira  is  a  little 
more  moist,  and  its  dampness  has  somewhat  increased  since  the  cultivation  of  the 
sugar-cane;  but  it  is  confined  to  certain  localities,  and  can  be  avoided  by  judicious 
choice  of  lodgings.  The  rainfall  is  also  greater,  but  is,  notwithstanding,  very  mod- 
erate, and  the  variations  in  temperature  are  only  a  little  more  noticeable  than  at 
Orotava;  while  the  social  advantages,  the  means  of  locomotion,  good  medical 
attendance,  and  the  comforts  so  essential  to  an  invalid,  are  more  abundant  at 
Madeira  than  at  Teneriffe.  The  Bahamas,  while  classed  among  the  trade -wind 
islands,  must  be  assigned  a  lower  rank  than  Madeira  and  Teneriffe,  because  they  can 
be  advantageously  used  as  a  health  resort  only  for  part  of  the  year — from  the  1st  of 
November  to  the  1st  of  May — while  the  cost  of  living  is  much  more  than  at  the 
islands  just  mentioned,  without  any  compensating  advantages.  But  as  a  sanita- 
rium for  winter  alone  they  are,  beyond  all  question,  superior  to  any  other  health 
resort  on  the  eastern  coast  of  North  America. 

Leaving  the  trade-winds,  we  now  come  to  island  resorts  offering  less  advantao^es 
than  those  just  mtentioned,  but  still  desirable  for  part  of  the  year  to  one  who  cannot 
go  as  far  as  the  trade-wind  islands.  The  Bermudas  are  the  first  of  these  in  celebrity ; 
but,  charming  as  they  are  for  the  tourist,  they  cannot  be  safely  commended  to  the 
consumptive,  except  in  the  contingency  that  he  cannot  go  to  any  better  resort. 
They  are  excessively  damp,  far  exceeding  in  this  respect  all  other  sanitary  islands, 
and  the  climate  resembles,  in  boisterousness  and  variability,  that  of  the  adjoining 
continent,  although,  as  the  extremes  are  much  less  violent,  it  is  so  far  a  decided  im- 
provement upon  that. 

The  Azores  may  be  classed  with  Bermuda.  But  while  the  latter  is  wholly  a  win- 
ter and  spring  resort,  the  former  can  be  advantageously  visited  by  the  invalid  only 
from  April  to  October.  The  excessive  force  and  dampness  of  the  wind  make  them 
very  undesirable  during  the  winter.  Prince  Edward  Island  and  the  Isles  of  Shoals 
are  excellent  resorts  in  summer,  especially  the  former,  which,  in  point  of  scenery, 
and  equability,  and  moderation  of  temperature  is  surpassed  by  no  other  island  on 
the  American  coast  as  a  summer  resort.  Belleisle-en-mer  is  to  be  commended  to 
the  invalid  during  the  winter  months,  at  least,  as  a  variety,  in  case  he  desires  change 
for  a  few  weeks,  although,  of  course,  of  less  value  than  more  Southern  isles. 

In  another  class  are  included  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  the  Channel  Islands,  which 
are  advantageous  during  the  whole  year,  although  their  greater  dampness,  more 


260  APPENDIX. 

copious  rains,  and  raw  winds  make  them  far  inferior  to  Teneriffe  and  Madeira. 
But  to  the  invalid  who  does  not  care  to  go  so  far,  Ventnor,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
and  Guernsey  and  Jersey  can  be  safely  recommended  as  superior  to  most  resorts  on 
the  main-land,  and  offering  excellent  social  advantages. 

Newfoundland,  Cape  Breton  Island,  and  the  Magdalen  Islands  present  superior 
attractions  to  the  artist  and  the  sportsman,  but  are  too  bleak  to  be  of  advantage  to 
the  invalid,  except  for  two  or  three  months  in  the  sunimer  to  those  who  still  have  a 
robust  constitution  that  is  only  temporarily  enfeebled. 

It  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized  that  those  who  would  obtain  the  full  bene- 
fit of  these  resorts  should  go  to  them  early.  Too  many  make  them  the  last  resource, 
and  go  when  it  is  too  late  to  derive  health  or  life  from  any  quarter.  If  they  then 
die  on  the  islands,  it  is  too  often  attributed  to  the  climate,  and  not  to  the  tardiness 
of  the  remedy.  Abundant  time  should  also  be  allowed  for  a  thorough  cure.  Many 
think  that  they  are  cured  as  soon  as  they  feel  somewhat  better,  and  consequently 
return  too  soon  to  the  bleak  climate  from  which  they  had  fled.  Chronic  maladies 
require  patience,  systematic  care,  and  time,  so  that  the  constitution  may  be  able  to 
readjust  its  disordered  functions. 

The  patient  who  resorts  to  these  islands  should  also  distinctly  understand,  and 
constantly  remember,  that  a  few  days  of  acclimation  are  generally  required,  during 
which  greater  caution  is  requisite ;  while  prudence,  and  regularity  of  habits,  and 
avoidance  of  exposure  or  overfatigue  can  at  no  time  be  dispensed  with.  Too  many 
who  are  of  convivial  habits  think  that  in  such  a  climate  they  can  defy  ill  health, 
and,  after  deriving  some  benefit  from  the  change,  finally  neutralize  it  by  yielding  to 
the  seductive  temptations  which  more  easily  assail  them  while  living  a  life  of  en- 
forced idleness.  The  climate  is  then  slandered,  and  unjustly  receives  the  blame  for 
the  lack  of  cure  which  naturally  results  from  vice  or  imprudence.  This  accounts 
for  some  of  the  pamphlets  which  sometimes  come  out  against  these  sanitary  re- 
sorts. It  is  well  for  the  invalid  to  see  a  good  physician  soon  after  landing,  and 
learn  of  him  the  regimen  and  regulations  required,  according  to  the  climate  and 
the  nature  of  his  disease. 


II. 

THE  BAHAMAS.* 


Nassau,  the  best  winter  resort  on  the  American  coast,  is  reached  by  the  steam 
line  of  Murray,  Ferris  «fe  Co.,  No.  62  South  Street,  New  York,  who  have  entered 
into  a  contract  for  five  years,  to  carry  mails  and  passengers.  One  boat  sails  month- 
ly throughout  the  year  from  New  York  to  Nassau  direct :  fare  $50 — round  trip,  $90. 

*  The  chapter  on  the  Bahamas  in  this  volume  first  appeared  in  Harper^s  New  Monthly  Maga- 
zine^ together  with  several  of  the  other  chapters ;  others  came  out  in  Scribner's  Montlihj,  the  Atlan- 
tic Monthly,  Appletotis'  Journal ,  and  Sunday  Affernoon,  from  which  they  are  now  republished,  with 
considerable  additional  matter.    The  description  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  has  not  appeared  elsewhere. 


APPENDIX.  261 

From  November  to  May,  a  steamer  of  the  same  company  sails  also  from  Savannah 
for  Nassau,  touching  at  St.  Augustine  :  fare  $21 ;  or,  from  New  York  via  the  above 
])laccs,  $50,  and  the  round  trip  $95. 

The  best  hotel  at  Nassau  is  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  a  spacious,  well-constructed 
building,  erected  by  the  Government  at  a  cost  of  $150,000.  It  stands  on  an  ele- 
vation, and  is  built  of  limestone,  three  stories  high,  and  is  surrounded  by  spacious 
verandas,  commanding  a  noble  prospect  and  fanned  by  the  trade-winds.  The  apart- 
ments are  large  and  airy,  and  well  kept.  The  drawing-room  is  a  most  delightful 
apartment,  and  the  diniiig-hall  is  very  inviting.  This  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
hotels  I  have  seen  at  any  island  resort  on  the  western  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Adjoin- 
ing the  hotel  is  a  pleasant  billiard-roora,  and  the  public  library  is  close  at  hand. 
This  hotel  is  now  leased  and  conducted  by  Messrs.  Mellen,  Conover,  *fe  Kino-,  and 
opens  November  1st,  and  closes  May  15th.  The  terms  are  $3  per  diem,  and  the 
average  expenses  are  little  less  than  those  of  a  first-class  hotel  in  the  United  States. 
Sail -boats  and  carriages  are  always  on  hand,  and  the  numerous  charming  coves 
and  lagoons,  and  the  admirable  roads,  suggest  various  means  of  enjoyment  to  the 
sportsman  or  the  invalid. 

Such  extra\'agant  eulogiums  have  been  bestowed  on  Nassau,  that,  to  the  appetite 
fed  on  such  highly  seasoned  food,  a  more  temperate  estimate  of  its  sanitary  and  social 
advantages  may  seem  tame.  But  speaking  as  I  do,  without  any  bias,  and  from  a 
wide  personal  experience  of  many  island  resorts,  I  must  assign  Nassau  a  lower  place 
than  either  Madeira  or  Teneriffe,  because  it  is  beneficial  for  only  part  of  the  year, 
while  the  humidity  of  the  evenings  makes  it  imprudent  for  the  confirmed  invalid  to 
expose  himself  to  the  night  air;  and  the  social  advantages  and  the  attractions  of  the 
scenery  suffer  decidedly  by  comparison  with  those  offered  by  the  transatlantic  isles. 
But  having  made  these  reservations,  I  can  heartily  recommend  Nassau  to  those  who 
cannot  cross  the  Atlantic  as  by  far  the  best  winter  sanitarium  within  easy  access  of 
the  United  States. 

Frost  is  unknown  in  the  Bahamas.  Many  years  ago  a  slight  film  of  snow  cov- 
ered part  of  the  Great  Bahama  Island.  It  was  a  sight  never  seen  there  before 
or  since,  and  filled  the  simple  natives  with  astonishment.  The  most  careful  and 
thorough  observations,  taken  for  successive  years  by  the  scientific  men  of  Nassau, 
indicate  that  the  temperature  from  November  1st  to  May  1st  does  not  fall  below 
63°,  nor  rise  above  82°,  and  rarely  varies  over  8°  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  Once 
or  twice  in  the  season  it  may  vary  12°,  while  oftener  the  change  may  not  be  over 
6°.  The  humidity  is  not  excessive,  averaging  73.3°,  but  it  is  very  marked  after 
sunset.  Yellow  fever  has  occurred  but  two  or  three  times  during  this  century, 
and  then  was  brought  from  Havana.  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  the  soil  to 
induce  that  or  any  other  epidemic,  so  long  as  the  first  principles  of  drainage  are 
observed  by  the  inhabitants.  During  the  summer,  however,  the  long -continued 
heat  and  the  rains  relax  the  system,  and  are  weakening  to  invalids. 


262  APPENDIX. 


THE   AZORES. 


These  islands  are  reached  in  the  most  direct  manner  from  the  United  States  by 
sailing-packets  from  Boston — the  bark  Asorean,  John  E.  May  &  Co.,  the  bark  Kate 
Williams,  J.  J,  Alves,  and  the  bark  Modesta — the  latter  Portuguese,  and  chiefly  em- 
ployed for  the  transit  of  the  islanders  emigrating  to  the  United  States.  The  first 
two  can  be  recommended  as  thoroughly  sea-worthy  and  reliable  vessels,  commanded 
by  men  experienced  in  the  trade.  The  fare  is  $60,  or,  for  the  round  trip,  $100. 
The  passage  out  averages  sixteen  days,  and  the  return  voyage  twenty-four  days. 
The  vessel  remains  at  the  islands  three  to  four  weeks,  sometimes  visiting  Flores  and 
St.  Michael.  Ten  weeks  may  be  allowed  as  the  time  for  an  average  trip,  if  one 
goes  and  returns  in  the  same  trip,  making  a  charming  summer  excursion. 

From  England  the  Azores  may  be  reached  during  the  winter  season  by  weekly 
steamers,  sent  by  Tatham  &  Co.,  No.  35  Pudding  Lane,  London,  from  that  port  to 
St.  Michael.     The  fare  is  £10,  wine  included.     Time,  about  five  days. 

Two  Portuguese  steam-packets  ply  bimonthly  between  Lisbon  and  the  islands — 
the  Luzo  and  the  Atlantico.  The  L^lzo,  leaving  Lisbon  on  the  1st,  touches  at  St. 
Michael,  Terceira,  and  Fayal,  and  the  Atlantico  visits  all  the  islands  of  the  group 
except  Corvo.  The  distance  is  a  little  over  700  miles ;  time  to  St.  Michael,  about 
three  days. 

The  Portuguese  hotel  at  Flores  is  a  small  affair,  and  cannot  be  highly  recom- 
mended. At  Fayal  there  is  an  excellent  house,  called  the  Fayal  Hotel,  under  the 
courteous  superintendence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards.  It  overlooks  the  port  and 
Pico  Peak,  and  a  large  and  attractive  garden  is  attached  to  the  hotel.  The  table  is 
loaded  with  the  game,  fish,  and  fruits  of  the  islands.  The  terms  are  $2  a  day, 
and  the  extras  are  quite  insignificant.  The  Hotel  Central  is  also  well  kept,  al- 
though small.  Numerous  meek  and  docile  little  donkeys  afford  the  chief  mode  of 
visiting  Castello  Branco,  the  Flamengoz,  and  other  attractive  spots  about  the  island. 

At  Ponta  Delgada,  St.  Michael,  is  a  spacious  hotel  near  the  water,  managed 
tolerably  well  by  Mr.  Bird,  an  Englishman.  At  the  Sulphur  Springs,  called  the 
Furnas,  there  are  two  hotels,  situated  in  the  midst  of  scenery  highly  interesting  and 
romantic.  The  best  of  these  is  very  efficiently  kept  by  Mr.  Brown,  an  Englishman. 
The  other  is  maintained  indifferently  well  by  Senhor  Lerogno. 

It  cannot  be  too  distinctly  stated  that  the  Azores  are  no  place  for  invalids  to 
visit  during  the  winter  season.  It  is  true  the  Thermal  Springs,  or  Furnas  of  St. 
Michael,  may  be  visited  nearly  as  well  at  that  season  as  in  summer;  but  the  advan- 
tages they  offer  may  be  gained  at  some  of  the  numerous  sulphur  springs  of  Germany 
or  France.  For  those  afflicted  with  throat  or  lung  diseases,  rheumatism  or  the  pro- 
tean forms  of  neuralgia,  the  Azores  are  quite  too  damp  and  boisterous  in  winter. 
The  rainfall  is  then  considerable,  the  winds  are  very  violent  and  searching,  and  the 
houses  are  adapted  only  to  those  in  rugged  health.  Not  that  the  temperature  is 
ever  low  at  the  Azores,  the  yearly  mean  being  62°  at  Fayal,  and  it  rarely  falls  below 


APPENDIX.  263 

53°,  although  44°  lias  been  reached;  but  the  mean  temperature  of  winter,  while 
steady,  rarely  rises  above  58°,  and  is  raw  and  humid.  But  a  marvellous  change 
occurs  after  the  first  of  May,  and  continues  through  September.  The  rains  are 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  the  air  becomes  soft  and  dry.  The  mean  temperature 
in  July  at  raid-day  is  '73°,  sometimes  rising  to  80°,  but  rarely  varying  over  6°  in  the 
twenty-four  hours.  Then  is  the  time  to  visit  Fayal,  to  breathe  its  delicious  and 
invigorating  air,  to  bask  in  its  beautiful  gardens,  and  enjoy  the  grand  and  beautiful 
scenery  of  those  lovely  isles. 

THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 

These  islands  are  reached  most  easily,  by  one  who  does  not  mind  roughing  it,  in 
a  fishing-schooner.  Many  schooners  from  Gloucester  make  the  Magdalen  Islands  a 
rendezvous  for  mackerel  fishing,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  secure  a  passage  in  one  of 
them.  A  less  direct  but  more  comfortable  way  is  to  go  to  Prince  Edward  Island 
by  rail  or  steamer,  and  take  the  steamboat  which  touches  at  Souris,  on  the  eastern 
end  of  that  island. 

At  Havre  Aubert,  on  Amherst  Island,  hotels  or  boarding-houses  are  kept  by 
Mrs.  Shea  and  Mrs.  Burns.  The  accommodations  are  scant,  and  the  fare  is  simple. 
But  the  rooms  are  clean  and  the  food  well  served,  and  seventy-five  cents  a  day 
cannot  be  called  high  for  board  and  lodging.  At  the  other  places  where  the  vis- 
itor may  resort,  he  will  have  to  depend  on  the  hospitality  of  the  leading  families, 
whose  charges  are  very  moderate. 

The  Magdalen  Islands  can  hardly  be  recommended  as  a  sanitarium  for  invalids. 
But  to  the  sportsman  and  the  artist,  or  the  searcher  after  an  interesting  spot  for 
an  invigorating  and  novel  summer  vacation,  they  cannot  be  too  highly  commended. 
As  yet  but  little  known,  their  wild  and  sublime  sea  scenery,  the  abundance  of  the 
sea-fowl,  and  the  raciness  of  rambling  about  those  wreck-strewn  isles,  are  attractions 
which  should  not  be  easily  set  aside  for  resorts  of  a  tamer  character. 

THE   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 

These  islands  are  reached  by  steamers  plying  daily  from  Southampton  and 
Weymouth.  The  distance  is  the  same  by  each  route,  but  the  passage  by  water  is 
longer  from  the  former  place — 123  miles — but  only  82  miles  from  Weymouth. 
The  passage  is  often  exceedingly  boisterous,  but  the  boats  are  strong  and  weatherly. 
There  are  also  daily  steamers  plying  from  Jersey  to  Granville  and  St.  Malo.  Jersey 
lies  21  miles  from  St.  Peter's  Port,  Guernsey,  and  42  miles  from  St.  Malo. 

These  islands  are  well  supplied  with  hotels  and  lodging-houses,  which  generally 
afford  comfortable  quarters  and  a  good  table  for  a  moderate  sum.  At  the  hotels 
7s.  to  8s.  per  day  is  the  average  price,  and  the  boarding-houses  charge  35s.  to  45s. 
per  week,  and  the  extras  are  trifling.  Gardner's  Royal  Hotel,  on  Glatney  Espla- 
nade, is  one  of  the  best  at  St.  Peter's  Port,  although  not  very  large.     It  overlooks 


264  APPENDIX. 

the  harbor.  Of  boarding-houses  the  best  is  Gardner's  Old  Government  House.  It 
occupies  an  elevated  position,  fronting  a  charming  garden,  and  commanding  a  grand 
view  of  the  town,  the  sea,  and  the  adjacent  isles.  It  is  well  kept,  and  the  terms 
are  moderate.  These  two  establishments  must  not  be  confounded  by  the  visitor, 
as  the  proprietor's  name  is  the  same  in  each.  Taudevin's,  Mrs.  Richards's,  and 
several  other  excellent  boarding-houses,  aid  to  extend  a  hospitable  reception  to  the 
invalid  or  tourist  resorting  to  Guernsey.  It  is  not  difficult  to  lease  a  pleasant  cot- 
tage, and  such  as  prefer  to  live  in  that  way  will  find  the  costs  of  living  by  no 
means  extravagant.  Those  proposing  to  winter  in  the  Channel  Islands  would 
do  well  to  secure  lodgings  at  an  early  date.  In  summer  the  islands  swarm  with 
tourists,  but  they  are  generally  only  transient  visitors. 

At  St.  Heliers,  the  Royal  Yacht  Club  Hotel,  facing  the  pier,  is  one  of  the  best. 
The  Imperial,  on  the  St.  Saviour's  Road,  is  a  large  and  conveniently  arranged  hotel. 
Of  many  boarding-houses,  Bree's,  at  Stopford  Terrace,  can  be  highly  recommended 
as  commodious,  clean,  the  table  and  service  good,  and  the  charges  moderate,  consid- 
ering the  high  character  of  the  establishment.  It  is  unfortunately  situated,  however, 
because  it  does  not  command  a  sea-view,  which  seems  to  be  desirable  in  such  a 
place ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  protected  from  the  biting  winter  gales.  Mrs. 
Treleavan's,  at  Mon  Sejour,  can  also  be  highly  recommended  as  moderate  and  thor- 
oughly well  sustained.  Good  lodgings  can  also  be  found  in  the  little  town  of  St. 
Aubin. 

At  Sark  there  are  several  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  and  lodgings  are  obtain- 
able on  reasonable  terms  in  a  number  of  private  houses.  Gavey's  Hotel  can  be 
strongly  recommended.     Terms,  5s.  to  6s.  per  diem. 

At  Alderney  there  is  a  good  hotel,  kept  by  Captain  Scott.  This  island  is 
reached  by  a  mail-boat  from  Guernsey  twice  weekly.  Sark  is  also  in  communica- 
tion with  St.  Peter's  Port  by  means  of  a  small  steamer  during  the  summer.  In 
the  winter  season  it  is  reached  only  by  the  Sarkese  fishing-boats,  which  ply  between 
the  islands  in  good  weather.     Sometimes  no  landing  can  be  effected  for  weeks. 

As  regards  climate,  the  Channel  Islands  have  a  much  more  equable  temperature 
than  that  of  the  adjoining  continent.  The  thermometer  often  varies  only  7°  or  8° 
in  the  month.  They  are,  therefore,  to  be  preferred  to  most  Continental  health 
resorts,  and  also  to  the  Isle  of  Wight.  In  summer  the  air  is  exceedingly  soft  and 
balmy,  and  entirely  free  from  extreme  heat.  An  invalid  who  desires  a  change  after 
a  winter  or  two  or  three  years  in  Madeira,  might,  if  strengthened  by  his  sojourn 
there,  pass  the  summer  in  the  Channel  Islands  with  beneficial  results.  But  they  are 
to  be  recommended  as  a  winter  sanitarium  only  to  those  who  cannot  go  to  the  trade- 
wind  islands  farther  south ;  for  in  that  season  there  is  much  dampness,  occasion- 
ally a  frost,  and  a  liability  to  flurries  of  snow — at  long  intervals,  however.  But  the 
difference  between  such  weather  and  the  delicious  winter  mildness  and  evenness  of  a 
winter  in  the  trade-wind  islands  is  great,  and  altogether  in  favor  of  the  latter.  At 
no  season  should  those  troubled  with  rheumatism  or  rheumatic  neuralgia  resort  to 
the  Channel  Islands. 


APPENDIX.  265 

It  is  a  curious  fact  tliat,  although  clustered  so  near  together,  the  Channel  Islands 
vary  sensibly  in  their  climatic  characteristics.  Guernsey  is  more  dry  and  has  a  less 
rainfall  than  Jersey,  and  a  more  even  temperature,  warmer  in  winter,  cooler  in  sum- 
mer, and  is  consequently  more  bracing.  The  dews  are  heavy  over  the  whole  group, 
and  dense  fogs  are  not  uncommon,  especially  in  summer.  Alderney  and  Sark  seem 
to  be  rather  more  dry  than  Guernsey.  Consumptives,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  dis- 
ease, may  derive  benefit  at  these  islands,  with  proper  care  of  themselves;  and  the  air 
is  highly  tonic  and  invigorating  for  those  who  are  simply  overworked  and  require  a 
temporary  change. 

MADEIRA. 

This  island  is  reached  by  several  lines  of  sailing  vessels  and  steamers.  The 
firm  of  Fowle  &  Caroll,  No.  31  India  Wharf,  Boston,  forward  three  or  four  vessels 
during  the  year;  fare,  $70  ;  time,  about  twenty-one  days.  It  has  been  done  repeat- 
edly in  thirteen  to  fifteen  days,  with  Avesterly  gales ;  the  return  is  about  twenty-six 
to  thirty  days.  Yates  &  Porterfield,  of  No.  115  Wall  Street,  New  York,  send  out 
ships  touching  at  Teneriffe;  fare,  $70.  From  there  it  is  but  thirty-six  hours  to  Ma- 
deira by  frequent  steamers ;  fare  between  the  two  islands,  £3.  Either  of  these  routes 
is  cheaper,  and  sometimes  more  expeditious,  than  via  Liverpool.  The  boats  of  the 
African  Steam  Navigation  Line  and  of  the  African  Steamship  Company  leave 
Liverpool  trimonthly  for  Madeira — time,  six  days;  fare,  18  guineas.  There  is  also 
a  trimonthly  line  from  Southampton.  All  these  boats  can  be  well  recommended. 
A  comfortable  Portuguese  steamer  leaves  Lisbon  bimonthly  for  Madeira,  and  by 
taking  ship  direct  from  New  York  to  Lisbon,  time,  and  certainly  money,  might  be 
saved.  Distance  from  Lisbon,  500  miles ;  time,  two  days.  Other  steamers  are  con- 
stantly touching  at  the  island,  to  or  from  Lisbon,  Bordeaux,  Havre,  Antwerp,  and 
Hamburg;  but  they  are  more  or  less  irregular.  Madeira  has  telegraphic  communi- 
cation with  the  rest  of  the  world  by  cable  to  Lisbon  and  Brazil. 

The  accommodations  for  visitors  to  Madeira  are  exceptionally  good.  There  are 
several  very  excellent  boarding-houses,  partaking  partly  of  the  natni-e  of  a  hotel. 
Reid's  and  Miles's,  in  Funchal,  can  both  be  very  highly  recommended.  The  for- 
mer maintains  two  houses,  one  directly  on  the  water's  edge  overlooking  the  port,  the 
other  higher  up,  opposite  the  Church  of  Santa  Clara,  commanding  an  extensive  land 
and  ocean  prospect.  The  terms  average  $2  per  diem,  which  is  moderate,  considering 
the  excellence  of  the  cuisine  and  the  efficiency  of  the  service.  Special  contracts  can 
sometimes  be  made  by  those  intending  to  remain  some  time.  It  is  well  to  write 
early  for  rooms  if  one  is  going  in  the  autumn  or  winter.  Between  May  and  October 
many  leave,  returning  again  for  the  winter,  and  it  is  easier  then  to  get  good  rooms. 
The  extra  expenses  at  these  hotels  are  trifling.  At  Santa  Cruz  there  is  a  most  ex- 
cellent hotel,  kept  by  Senhor  Gonsalvez,  who  speaks  English  fluently.  It  is  charm- 
ingly situated.  At  Sant'  Anna  there  is  a  very  finely  situated  hotel ;  the  host,  Senhor 
Acciaoly,  is  a  thorough  gentleman.  The  terms  are  about  $1  75,  or  7s.  per  diem. 
At  Ponta  Delgada  there  is  a  charming  little  house,  situated  in  a  position  of  aston- 


266  APPENDIX. 

ishing  loveliness;  but  this  may  be  said  of  most  of  the  hotels  on  this  matchless 
island.  Rooms  can  be  obtained  there,  and  also  at  the  inn  at  San  Vincente,  but 
the  table  and  lodgings  are  quite  simple  and  proportionately  cheaper  than  in  Fun- 
chal.  This  is  fully  compensated  by  the  delicate  air  and  the  glory  of  the  scenery. 
At  Calheta,  on  the  road  to  the  Rabacal,  lodgings  may  be  had  for  the  night  in  the 
picturesque  house  of  Senhor  Druminond,  which  was  once  a  convent. 

Good  horses  and  hammocks  can  be  hired  on  moderate  terms.  If  one  is  to  be 
some  time  on  the  island,  it  is  well  to  engage  one  or  the  other  for  the  season.  A 
burrequiero,  or  muleteer,  always  accompanies  the  horse.  For  an  invalid  no  more- 
delightful  mode  of  locomotion  can  be  devised  than  the  Madeira  hammock. 

There  is  a  good  news-room,  provided  with  English  and  American  papers,  at 
Funchal,  adjoining  the  beach;  subscription,  $1  per  month.  There  is  also  a  good 
library  of  several  thousand  volumes  in  the  next  street,  to  which  subscribers  have 
access. 

As  regards  the  climate  of  Madeira,  there  is  little  to  be  said  that  is  not  in  its 
favor,  provided  the  invalid  goes  there  in  the  earlier  stages  of  the  disease.  It  is  ben- 
eficial to  consumptives,  and  those  troubled  with  rheumatism,  neuralgia,  and  Bright's 
disease,  or  general  exhaustion  of  the  system.  The  objections  brought  against  it 
have  been  largely  due  to  an  attempt  to  prop  later  and  less-known  resorts  at  the 
expense  of  those  of  established  reputation ;  and  also  to  the  grumbling  of  two  or 
three  invalids  of  ungovernable  temper,  .who,  failing  to  receive  the  benefit  which  it 
was  too  late  for  them  to  receive  anywhere,  have  reviled  a  resort  that  has  done  so 
much  good  to  others. 

The  rainy  season  is  in  winter,  but  the  rainfall  is  very  moderate.  Protracted  rains 
are  unknown.  Sometimes  it  rains  hard  in  the  mountains,  and  light  momentary 
showers  are  liable  to  occur  at  all  times  of  the  year.  The  north  side  of  the  island  is 
cooled  by  the  trade-winds,  and  the  south  side  is  fanned  by  a  mild  sea-breeze,  rising 
in  the  morning  and  going  down  with  the  sun.  Clouds  temper  the  heat  of  the  sun 
during  the  day. 

The  temperature  is  equable  and  moderate.  Frost  is  unknown  except  at  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  in  winter.  For  eighteen  years  in  succession  the  mean 
temperature  at  Funchal  was  68°.  It  never  goes  below  62°,  nor  rises  above  83°  or 
84°,  in  that  city,  except  once  or  twice  in  the  year  for  two  or  three  days,  when  the 
Leste,  or  Harmattan  (the  wind  off  the  African  desert),  visits  the  island.  It  is  a  very 
hot,  dry,  weakening  wind,  but  is  rare  and  of  short  duration.  At  Sant'  Anna,  the 
mercury  for  nearly  forty  years  did  not  go  below  60°  nor  rise  above  80°.  One 
advantage  of  Madeira  is  the  large  variety  of  resorts  within  the  limits  of  the  island 
itself.  Thus,  when  the  heat  is  too  high  and  steady  at  Funchal,  one  can  at  once 
reduce  it  by  going  to  Santa  Cruz  or  Sant' Anna,  or  going  higher  up.  Three  hundred 
feet  above  the  water  it  is  very  rarely  that  the  glass  rises  above  77°  at  Madeira. 


APPENDIX.  267 


TENERIFFE. 


The  Liverpool  and  London  boats,  touching  at  Madeira,  stop  at  Santa  Cruz  de 
Teneriffe  also,  both  going  and  returning.  The  fare  is  19  guineas;  time,  eight  days. 
There  is  a  Spanish  steamer  from  Cadiz  bimonthly ;  and  French  steamers  from 
Havre,  St.  Nazairc,  and  Marseilles  touch  there.  The  ships  of  Yates  <fe  Porterfield, 
of  No.  115  Wall  Street,  New  York,  stop  at  Teneriffe  occasionally  ;  fare,  $70. 

Teneriffe  is  poorly  provided  with  accommodations  for  invalids  or  tourists.  The 
Hotel  Durvan,  at  Santa  Cruz,  is  well  kept,  and  those  rooms  which  face  the  street  are 
pleasant.  The  table  is  good,  but  not  remarkable,  and  the  terms  are  moderate.  But 
the  visitor  should,  and  doubtless  '.vould,  prefer  the  north  side  of  Teneriffe,  especial- 
ly the  Valley  of  Orotava.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  better  lodgings  are  not 
afforded  there  to  strangers.  Mrs.  TurnbuU's  excellent  boarding-house  was  admirably 
situated  when  it  was  at  the  Deheza  di  Ventoso.  It  is  now  nearer  the  water,  at  the 
Puerto  d'Orotava,  and  the  terms  moderate ;  but  the  accommodations  are  quite  lim- 
ited. However,  the  increasing  number  of  visitors  will  probably  soon  result  in  the 
providing  of  more  facilities  for  their  reception.  Good  houses  are  not  difficult  to 
tind  at  a  moderate  rent,  and  the  cost  of  living  is  not  high.  As  the  Valley  of  Oro- 
tava presents  an  ideal  climate,  and  is  easy  of  access,  it  is  highly  desirable  that  good 
lodging-houses  should  be  established  there  without  delay.  Donkeys,  patient  and 
strong,  are  easily  obtained  at  Orotava,  and  mules  of  doubtful  character.  At  Santa 
Cruz  carriages  may  be  had  on  hire. 

The  climate  of  Teneriffe  is  remarkable  for  two  features  beyond  all  other  regions 
in  the  Northern  hemisphere — equability  and  freedom  from  humidity.  Regarding 
the  former  characteristic  M.  Belcastel  says,  "The  thermometer  tires  one  with  its 
monotony.  It  appears  to  sleep,  and  one  can  count  upon  breathing,  when  he  rises, 
the  same  air  and  temperature  as  the  day  before."  At  Orotava,  about  three  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea,  for  five  weeks  in  May  and  June,  I  saw  the  mercury  rise  daily 
in  the  shade  to  72°  about  3  p.m.  At  night  it  fell  to  68°.  Inuring  that  period  I 
noticed  no  variation  from  those  figures.  The  mean  temperature  of  Santa  Cruz  in 
January,  in  the  shade,  is  65°  by  day  and  67°  by  night;  ditto,  for  July,  79°  and  78° 
respectively.  Belcastel  records  the  mean  temperature  of  Orotava  in  January  as 
16.8°  Reamur;  ditto,  for  July,  24.7°.  The  mean  annual  temperature  of  Orotava 
is  20.2°  Reamur,  while  that  of  Funchal  is  18.8°  ditto.  The  mean  temperature  is 
61.6°  Fahrenheit  for  January,  and  76.6°  for  July.  Along  the  coast  of  the  island 
the  dews  are  very  slight,  although  heavy  on  the  mountains.  Rain  falls  at  Santa 
Cruz  and  Orotava  fifty  to  fifty -five  days  in  the  year,  but  somewhat  oftener  at 
Laguna. 

The  mortality  at  Puerto  d'Orotava  is  1  in  60 ;  at  Rcalejo,  in  the  same  valley, 
1  in  70.  That  of  Rome  is  1  in  32.  Consumption,  bronchitis,  asthma,  neuralgia, 
rheumatism,  and  Bright's  disease  are  all  capable  of  amelioration,  if  not  always  abso- 
lutely curable,  by  a  residence  at  Orotava  the  year  round,  or  at  Santa  Cruz  during 


268  APPENDIX. 

the  winter,  provided  the  patient  goes  to  Teneriffe  before  the  malady  has  gone  too 
far,  and  is  resolved  to  use  all  due  precautions  and  devote  sufficient  time  to  the 
rebuilding  of  his  constitution.  Dr.  Perez,  who  has  given  his  life  to  an  enthusiastic 
study  of  the  climatic  character  of  Teneriffe,  and  has  kept  himself  always  au  courante 
with  the  medical  discoveries  of  the  age,  may  be  depended  upon  as  a  thoroughly 
capable  physician. 

At  Teneriffe  and  all  islands  with  so  mild  a  cliuiate  and  such  an  abundance  of 
fruits,  the  visitor,  whether  well  or  sick,  must  not  forget  that  unless  his  habits  are 
regular  and  his  appetites  under  control,  especially  in  the  fruit  season,  he  is  liable  to 
dysentery,  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  or  typhoid  fever. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

Newfoundland  occupies  an  anomalous  position  as  regards  communications.  It 
may  be  reached  generally  by  steamers  running  monthly  in  winter  and  bimonthly  in 
summer  from  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  The  Allan  Line  between  Liverpool,  Halifax, 
and  Baltimore  touch  at  St.  Johns  every  alternate  week.  The  boats  of  the  Crom- 
well Line  leave  New  York  for  St.  Johns  every  ten  days  from  April  to  November, 
touching  at  Halifax.  Fare,  $35 ;  round  ticket,  $65.  Two  boats  also  ply  between 
Montreal  and  St.  Johns  during  the  summer. 

The  Atlantic  Hotel  is  a  respectable  house  at  St.  Johns.  Knight's  Home  is  an 
excellently  kept  temperance  boarding-house,  with  limited  accommodations,  but  a 
good  table.  Mrs.  Simms's  lodging-house  can  also  be  recommended.  At  other 
places  on  the  island  accommodations  are  scarce  and  inferior. 

Newfoundland  is  rather  a  resort  for  sportsmen  than  for  invalids,  although  fhe 
climate  during  the  summer  is  dry,  and  free  from  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold ;  but 
the  summer  inclines  to  coolness.  The  thermometer  does  not  fall  as  low  in  winter 
as  on  the  neighboring  continent.  The  highest  degree  of  heat  in  July  is  79°;  the 
minimum  is  40° ;  the  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  42.2°. 

There  is  good  trout-fishing  in  the  island  streams  during  the  summer,  although 
the  enthusiastic  fisherman  Avill  have  to  travel  some  distance  from  St.  Johns  to  find 
it  in  perfection.  The  deer  migrate  to  the  south  of  the  island  in  winter,  but  during 
the  summer  months  they  are  not  infrequent  in  the  northern  woods  of  Newfound- 
land, as  well  as  Micmac  Indians,  who  are  familiar  with  the  haunts  of  the  deer. 
Grouse  are  protected  by  the  game-laws  until  the  20th  of  August.  The  seal-fisheries 
offer  many  attractions  to  those  who  do  not  mind  roughing  it  in  every  sense  of  the 
term,  and  aiding  in  the  slaughter  of  the  450,000  to  500,000  seals  annually  destroyed 
on  the  ice.  Much  novel  and  wild  adventure  can  be  found  in  this  way,  and  it  is 
easy  to  obtain  a  passage  to  the  sealing  grounds  in  one  of  the  numerous  sealers, 
which  go  out  in  March  or  April  from  St.  Johns  and  Harbor  Grace. 


APPENDIX.  269 


BERMUDA. 


This  charming  little  group  of  miniature  isles  is  readied  in  seventy  to  seventy- 
five  hours  from  New  York,  by  the  steamers  of  the  Quebec  and  Gulf  Ports  Steam- 
ship Company,  which  run  bimonthly,  except  in  May  to  June,  when  they  ply  weekly. 
The  passage  is  more  likely  to  be  boisterous  than  otherwise,  as  it  lies  across  the  Gulf 
Stream,  but  no  serious  accidents  have  thus  far  been  reported  on  this  line.  Steamers 
of  this  company  also  sail  monthly  from  Halifax  for  the  West  Indies,  and  touch  at 
Bermuda  on  the  way. 

The  accommodations  for  travellers  at  these  islands  are  various,  and  generally  of 
fair  quality.  The  Hamilton  Hotel,  under  the  charge  of  Mrs.  I.  W.  Dodge,  is,  among 
a  number,  the  best  hotel  in  Bermuda,  pleasantly  situated,  overlooking  the  town  of 
Hamilton.  The  terms  are  $2  50  to  $3  per  diem.  There  are  several  respectable, 
moderate-priced  boarding-houses,  of  which  Mrs.  Turnbull's,  called  the  Brunswick, 
at  Hamilton,  and  Mr.  Peniston's,  at  the  Flatts,  can  be  especially  recommended. 

The  climate  of  Bermuda  has  in  times  past  been  much  noted,  and  for  those  who 
are  strong  and  well  it  is  charming,  and  far  more  agreeable  than  that  of  the  neigh- 
boring continent.  Bermuda  is  out  of  the  range  of  the  trade-winds,  and  is  subject 
to  sudden  and  violent  fluctuations  of  temperature,  with  strong  gales,  attended  with 
a  heavy  rainfall.  It  differs  from  the  climate  of  the  main-land  not  so  much  in  kind 
as  in  degree,  the  extremes  being  less  marked,  and  inclining  toward  heat  rather  than 
cold.  Frost  is  recorded  as  having  occurred  there  once — in  1840.  In  1876,  which 
is  a  fair  average  example  of  the  Bermuda  climate,  the  maximum  rise  of  the  ther- 
mometer in  July  was  94°  in  the  shade.  The  lowest  was  40.6°,  in  March.  The 
mean  for  the  year  was  70.5°,  and  the  range  was  54.2°.  The  mean  for  the  year  1874, 
at  9  A.M.,  was  72.33°.  North  and  north-west  winds  prevail,  and  impart  a  rawness 
to  the  air  in  winter.  Strange  to  say,  very  few  houses  have  either  grates  or  stoves, 
and  the  consumptive  or  rheumatic  patient  should  always  have  one  or  the  other 
whenever  the  thermometer  descends  below  60°.  The  bad  drainage  of  the  houses 
causes  some  typhoid  fever;  but  the  authorities  are  Avaking  up  on  this  important 
subject. 

The  humidity  of  Bermuda,  especially  after  nightfall,  exceeds  anything  in  my 
experience,  and  is  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  climate.  It  is  so  excessive 
that  gloves  and  cigars,  and  other  objects  liable  to  mildew,  are  kept  in  air-tight  glass- 
cases  in  the  shops.  Matches  are  so  damp  sometimes  that  they  will  not  ignite,  while 
cigars  are  so  saturated  with  moisture  that  they  will  not  burn.  Some  bromide  of 
potassium,  that  I  had  tightly  corked  up  in  a  bottle,  was  dissolved  by  the  moisture 
it  absorbed.  The  mean  dew-point  for  1875  was  63.3°,  and  the  number  of  days 
in  which  rain  fell  was  157,  the  total  rainfall  being  44.66  inches. 

Such  excessive  dampness  is,  however,  less  noxious  in  a  small  sea-island  than  on 
the  main-land,  for  it  is  charged  with  a  certain  degree  of  tonic  saline  qualities  that 
somewhat  neutralize  its  ill  effects.     At  the  same  time,  such  humidity  is,  under  all 


270  APPENDIX. 

circumstances,  to  be  avoided  if  possible.  For  those  in  vigorous  health,  Bermuda 
offers  a  delightful  but  enervating  climate.  But  invalids  troubled  with  neuralgia  and 
fever  and  ague  may  derive  benefit  from  a  residence  there.  But  those  who  are  suf- 
fering from  pectoral  or  throat  diseases  cannot  be  recommended  to  go  there,  unless, 
perhaps,  for  the  spring  months.  Bermuda  is  probably  preferable  to  Massachusetts 
or  Canada  for  the  consumptive;  but  when  there  are  so  many  resorts  superior  to  it 
for  such  complaints,  it  seems  strange  the  consumptive  should  continue  to  go  there.* 
But  whoever  does  go  to  Bermuda  for  his  health  cannot  be  too  strongly  urged  to 
use  great  caution  in  exposing  himself  to  the  night  air  at  all  seasons,  and  by  no 
means  to  yield  so  far  to  the  seductive  mildness  of  the  air,  on  landing,  as  to  throw  off 
his  flannels.  I  have  known  some,  by  such  ill-judged  imprudence,  to  sacrifice  all  the 
good  they  might  have  gained,  while  others  in  comparative  good  health  who  have 
accompanied  them  have  contracted  incipient  consumption  by  sitting  exposed  to  the 
night  air.  In  Bermuda  no  one  can  dispense  with  prudence  in  matters  of  health ; 
but  with  prudence  one  may  live  there  a  long  time,  and  finally,  as  the  inhabitants 
say,  vanish  in  a  good  old  age,  by  simply  drying  up  and  being  blown  away. 

BELLEISLE-EN-MER. 

This  island  is  reached  by  daily  steamers  from  Auray.  There  is  also  a  regular 
line  of  packets  between  Nantes  and  Lorient,  which  touch  each  way  at  Belleisle. 

The  Hotel  de  France,  at  Le  Palais,  can  be  well  recommended.  It  is  on  the 
chief  street;  the  rooms  are  cheerful,  and  the  table  is  good.  Carriages  and  wagon- 
ettes can  always  be  procured  on  moderate  terms. 

The  climate  of  Belleisle  is  more  dry  and  sunny  than  that  of  Brittany,  and  trav- 
ellers or  invalids  wintering  in  Brittany  for  their  health  would  find  it  to  their  advan- 
tage to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  Belleisle.  The  cheerfulness  of  the  skies,  the  genial 
warmth  of  the  sun,  the  mildness  of  the  temperature,  are  of  a  nature  to  aid  the 
neuralgic  or  consumptive  patient  in  the  recovery  of  health,  although  a  whole  season 
there  would  probably  be  monotonous  to  many.  In  May  and  June  the  air  is  balmy 
and  delicious,  and  the  sea-bathing  excellent,  while  the  number  of  visitors  from 
abroad,  and  the  animation  attending  the  sardine  fisheries,  add  greatly  to  the  interest 
of  the  little  island. 

*  "  The  climate  of  Bermuda  is  relaxing,  and,  so  far  as  I  had  an  opportunity  of  observing,  espe- 
cially ill  adapted  for  persons  afflicted  with  disease  of  the  lungs,  as  nearly  all  the  cases  of  phthisis  I 
have  seen  ran  their  course  rapidly."  Such  is  the  testimony  of  Surgeon-major  P.  H.  E.  Cross,  in  the 
sanitary  report  of  his  Excellency  General  Lefroy,  the  Governor  of  Bermuda.  Such,  also,  seems  to 
be  the  opinion  of  nearly  all  the  physicians  whose  opinion  and  experience  I  asked,  or  whose  views 
on  the  subject  have  appeared  in  the  official  reports. 


APPENDIX.  271 


PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND. 

This  island  is  reached  from  Quebec  by  the  boats  of  the  Quebec  and  Gulf  Steam- 
ship Company  during  the  summer  season.  Navigation  during  the  winter  is  closed 
by  the  ice.  The  International  Line  of  steamers  runs  weekly,  during  the  open  sea- 
son, from  Boston  to  Charlottetown,  touching  at  Halifax  and  Pictou  for  a  few  hours. 
The  fare  is  $10,  exclusive  of  meals,  which  are  $6  to  $8  more.  This  is  a  very 
pleasant  way  of  reaching  the  island.  Those  who  dread  the  sea  can  go  entirely 
by  rail  to  Shediac,  New  Brunswick,  and  cross  the  Straits  of  Northumberland,  only 
thirty  miles,  in  a  strong  boat  to  Summerside ;  or  they  can  take  the  steamer  running 
from  Boston  to  St,  John,  New  Brunswick,  touching  at  Portland  on  the  way,  and  go 
by  rail  from  St.  John  to  Shediac.  Thus,  there  are  many  ways  of  reaching  Prince 
Edward  Island,  all  of  them  affording  much  interest  and  variety.  The  traveller 
would  do  well  to  go  by  one  way  and  return  by  another. 

Prince  Edward  Island  is  traversed  from  one  end  to  the  other  by  a  railroad,  which 
is  tapped  by  another  short  line  from  Charlottetown.  The  carriage  roads  are  every- 
where excellent,  and  good  horses  and  carriages  are  easily  obtained. 

There  are  many  hotels  on  the  island ;  Charlottetown  swarms  with  them.  They 
are  generally  of  an  indifferent  character ;  but  Miss  Rankin's,  at  Charlottetown,  can 
be  very  cordially  recommended.  It  is  commodious,  and  finely  situated  near  the 
water's  edge.  Mr.  M'Donald,  who  has  leased  the  new  hotel  at  Souris,  is  a  most 
obliging  landlord,  and  his  table  is  well  furnished  with  meats  and  game.  The  terms 
are  moderate.  The  Seaside  Hotel,  at  Rustico,  is  admirably  situated  on  a  bluff;  and 
although  the  rooms  are  small,  they  are  neat,  cheerful,  and  clean,  and  the  table  is 
excellent.  A  bowling-alley  and  surf-bathing  and  fishing  are  close  at  hand.  Terms, 
$2  to  $2  50  per  diem.  The  Island  Park  Hotel,  at  Summerside,  is  romantically 
situated  on  a  small  island  in  the  harbor,  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  which  is 
reached  by  a  steam-tender  belonging  to  the  hotel,  or  by  crossing  a  ford  at  low 
water.  It  is  the  largest  hotel  in  Prince  Edward  Island;  the  rooms  are  spacious, 
and  command  lovely  views  over  land  and  sea.  They  are  well  furnished,  and  the 
table  is  served  in  the  American  style,  which  will  please  those  who  prefer  that 
method  in  a  hotel.  Bath-houses,  billiard-rooms,  a  bowling-alley,  and  a  croquet- 
ground  are  provided ;  and  the  woods  of  the  islet  are  intersected  with  winding  paths 
containing  rustic  seats,  and  a  carriage-road  which  encircles  the  shore.  Good  fishing 
and  excellent  yachting  facilities  also  await  the  tourist  sportsman.  The  terms  are 
$2  50  per  diem.  At  this  place  Prince  Edward  Island  is  so  indented  by  bays  that 
it  is  only  three  miles  across  from  the  southern  to  the  northern  coast  of  the  island. 
Malpeque  Bay,  on  the  north  side,  is  a  large  and  interesting  sheet  of  water.  Board- 
ing-houses abound,  or  rather  farm-houses,  where  one  can  find  good,  wholesome, 
but  simple  fare,  including  pure  milk,  fresh  eggs,  and  fine  beef.  Board  and  lodging 
of  this  sort  can  be  found  for  $5  to  $6  per  week. 

Prince  Edward  Island  is  wholly  a  summer  resort,  but  as  such  it  can  be  warmly 


272  APPENDIX. 

recommended  to  the  invalid  who  is  suflfering  from  general  nervous  exhaustion,  to  all 
those  who  are  prostrated  by  overwork,  to  all  who  woixld  fortify  their  constitutions 
against  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  age  by  sensible  vacations,  and  to  sportsmen  who 
love  boat-sailing,  iisliing,  and  plover,  snipe,  and  duck  shooting,  with  an  occasional 
shot  at  a  brown  bear.*  Those  who  are  already  greatly  reduced  by  lung,  or  bron- 
chial, or  asthmatic  diseases  would  do  better  to  seek  a  drier  and  warmer  resort. 
Victims  of  hay  fever  may  spend  the  summer  at  Prince  Edward,  and  forget  a  tor- 
ment that  never  worried  Job,  or  he  might  not  have  come  down  to  later  ages  as  a 
pattern  of  patience. 

The  temperature  during  the  summer  is  remarkable  for  its  evenness  and  freedom 
from  extremes  or  sudden  changes.  From  the  1st  of  June  to  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber the  weather  is  very  delightful,  the  thermometer  ranging  from  60°  to  15°.  Light 
showers  and  an  occasional  heavy  rain  occur  sometimes,  but  equability  is  the  general 
character  of  the  summer  climate  there.  The  south-west  wind,  which  is  generally  a 
damp  wind,  loses  its  moisture  in  crossing  Nova  Scotia,  and  I'eaches  Prince  Edward 
Island  dry  and  deliciously  soft  and  balmy. 

ISLES   OF  SHOALS. 

These  attractive  little  isles  are  within  a  few  miles  of  Portsmouth,  and  are  reached 
during  the  season  by  two  steamers,  one  running  twice  a  day  to  Appledore,  and  the 
other  to  Star  Island. 

There  is  a  large  and  very  well-conducted  hotel  at  Appledore,  under  the  charge 
of  the  Messrs.  Laighton,  who  have,  by  long  experience,  learned  how  to  minister  to 
the  wants  of  their  guests.  On  Star  Island  is  the  Oceanic  Hotel,  a  spacious  estab- 
lishment formerly  kept  by  Mr.  Poore,  facing  the  cove  formed  by  the  cluster  of  isles 
between  Appledore  and  Star  Island.  Its  cool  verandas  are  very  inviting.  The 
terms  are  those  usual  at  American  watering-places. 

The  great  advantage  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  is  that,  more  nearly  than  almost  any 
other  inhabited  islands  in  the  Western  Atlantic,  they  realize  the  atmospheric  condi- 
tionsrfound  in  a  ship  at  sea ;  for  while  the  general  temperature  greatly  resembles 
that  of  the  neighboring  coast,  the  extremes  are  tempered  by  the  sea  air,  the  minute 
size  of  each  of  the  islets  givmg  to  them  an  atmosphere  fragrant  and  healthy  with 
sea  qualities ;  and  thus  a  residence  on  the  islands  has  tonic  effects  very  similar  to 
those  of  a  sea-voyage.  For  one  trait  these  isles  cannot  be  too  highly  recommended 
— the  uncompromising  and  inflexible  determination  they  show  never  to  allow  that 
strange,  mysterious,  summer  foe,  the  hay  fever,  to  make  an  entrance  within  their 
charmed  limits, 

*  For  an  account  of  the  fish  of  those  waters  and  the  season  to  catch,  see  p.  201. 


APPENDIX.  273 


CAPE   BRETON   ISLAND. 


This  island  may  be  reached  by  rail  from  Halifax  or  New  Brunswick,  or  by  any 
of  the  routes  mentioned  for  reaching  Prince  Edward  Island,  excepting  the  one  via 
Shediac.  The  Boston  and  the  Montreal  boats  touch  at  Port  Hawkesbury,  in  the 
Straits  of  Canso,  and  passengers  by  rail  are  ferried  across  to  the  same  town.  From 
there  stages  proceed  to  Baddeck,  and  a  steamer  plies  through  the  Bras  d'Or  to  Syd- 
ney.    The  beauty  of  the  latter  route  is  exceptionally  attractive. 

Baddeck  and  Sydney  are  the  chief  towns.  Not  very  much  can  be  said  in  favor 
of  their  hotels ;  but  the  boarding  establishmehts  of  Mrs.  King  and  Miss  Heams  at 
Sydney  are  excellent.  At  Baddeck,  the  Telegraph  House  and  the  boarding-house 
of  Mrs.  Robert  Jones  can  be  recommended.  The  terms  average  $1  25  to  $2  50 
per  diem.  But  the  sportsman  who  visits  Cape  Breton  Island  will  not  care  to  spend 
much  time  at  the  hotels.  Camping  out  with  a  tent,  or  cruising  in  a  boat,  with  rod, 
rifle,  and  sketch-book,  he  will  disdain  a  roof,  and  enjoy  the  equable  air  of  summer 
and  early  autumn  in  "  roughing  "  style.  One  who  takes  a  decked  boat  of  four  or 
five  tons  to  Port  Hawkesbury  in  the  steamer  from  Halifax  or  Boston,  and  floats  it 
through  the  St.  Peter's  Canal  into  the  Bras  d'Or,  will  find  few  sheets  of  water 
which  offer  more  attractions  for  a  three  or  four  weeks'  idle  cruise  from  cove  to 
cove,  fishing,  shooting,  sketching,  sailing,  and  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  the 
Highlanders  and  the  Micmacs.  Or  he  can  hire  a  small  schooner  or  sail-boat  at 
Sydney.  The  climate  is  very  even  during  the  sporting  season ;  and  trout,  salmon, 
snipe,  woodcock,  partridge,  and  plover  abound. 

ISLE   OF  WIGHT. 

This  favorite  resort  of  pleasure-seekers  and  valetudinarians  is  so  easily  reached 
from  the  adjoining  ports  of  Southampton  and  Portsmouth,  by  so  many  different 
railway  and  steamboat  lines,  that  it  is  superfluous  to  go  into  further  details  on  the 
subject. 

In  the  matter  of  excellent  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  no  island  is  better  pro- 
vided with  the  means  for  comfortably  entertaining  strangers  or  ministering  to  the 
comforts  of  invalids.  They  abound  on  every  hand,  and  it  will  therefore  suflSce, 
among  many,  to  mention  favorably  the  Pier,  the  Kent,  Sivier's,  and  the  Belgrave, 
at  Ryde.  Charming  cottages  may  also  be  obtained  there  and  everywhere  about  the 
island  for  the  season  or  for  the  year;  but  the  terms  depend  so  much  on  size  or 
location,  that  the  visitor  intending  to  lease  a  cottage  will  have  to  look  around  for 
himself.  At  Brading,  the  Bugle  Inn  offers  shelter  to  the  passing  tourist.  At  Sand- 
own,  the  diief  hotels  are  the  Sandown  and  the  Star  and  Garter.  At  Shanklin, 
Hollier's,  Daish's,  and  the  Madeira  can  be  recommended  among  a  number  of  ex- 
cellent hotels  and  lodging-houses.  The  Clarendon  is  a  tavern  rather  than  a  first- 
class  hotel. 

18 


274  APPENDIX. 

Ventnor,  the  choicest  spot  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  the  resort  of  invalids, 
abounds  in  hotels  and  boarding-houses  of  excellent  character.  The  Crab  and  Lob- 
ster cannot  be  too  highly  recommended  for  the  quiet  order  and  home-like  neatness 
and  convenience  of  the  comforts  it  offers  to  its  guests.  The  Marine  Hotel,  on  the 
cliff  facing  the  ocean,  is  finely  situated,  and  so,  also,  is  the  Esplanade  Hotel.  The 
terms  at  the  hotels  and  lodging-houses  of  Ventnor  are  more  moderate  than  the 
charges  at  Brighton  or  other  sea-side  resorts  in  England.  The  Albion  and  Plumb- 
ly's  hotel,  at  Freshwater  Gate,  are  excellent  establishments.  The  Needles  at  Alum 
Bay,  the  Bugle  at  Newport,  and  the  Gloucester  at  West  Cowes,  are  capital  hotels. 

As  a  watering-place  for  summer  tourists  and  pleasure-seekers,  the  attractions  of 
the  Isle  of  Wight  are  too  obvious  to  require  either  praise  or  comment.     As  a  sani- 
tarium for  invalids,  especially  those  afflicted  with  pulmonary  complaints,  the  advan- 
tages of  this  island  are  less  certain,  and  have  within  a  few  years  received  quite  as 
much  credit  as  they  deserve.     The  island,  as  a  whole,  possesses  too  much  of  the 
moist,  raw,  and  variable  temperature  of  England  to  make  it  a  desirable  resort  for 
invalids.     But  the  narrow,  seven-mile-long  strip  of  land  called  the  Undercliff,  on 
which  Ventnor  is  situated,  enjoys  a  climate  that  is  more  mild,  dry,  and  steady  than 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  island,  facing  the  south  -  east,  and  sheltered  from  northerly 
winds  by  the  high  cliffs  of  Boniface  Down  and  St.  Catherine's  Hill.     Shanklin  also 
rejoices  in  the  softer  climate  of  Ventnor,  but  to  a  less  degree.     The  mean  annual 
temperature  of  the  TJndei-cliff  is  51°  72'.     In  winter  it  sometimes  falls  much  lower, 
but,  on  the  whole,  it  is  not  surpassed  in  mildness  and  equability  by  any  other  health 
resort  of  the  Atlantic  north  of  the  Azores.     "I  have  counted,"  says  the  late  Dr. 
Martin,  "  nearly  fifty  species  of  garden  flowers  blooming  in  the  borders  in  Decem- 
ber, and  sweet-peas  blossom  on  Christmas-day !     The  bee  is  on  the  wing  when,  in 
less  favored  districts  of  the  island,  a  bitter  frost  j)arches  all  the  meadows."     This  is 
the  most  favorable  exhibit  that  can  be  allowed  in  praise  of  Ventnor.     But,  after 
every  reservation,  it  may  be  frankly  admitted  that,  for  those  who  do  not  care  or 
are  unable  to  go  .to  the  trade-wind  islands  for  their  health,  the  Undercliff  on  the 
Isle  of  Wight  offers  most  decided  advantages  and  attractions  which  may  enable 
them  to  protract  for  years  a  life  that  would  otherwise  be  forfeited  by  a  longer  stay 
in  the  place  where  the  disease  was  contracted.     The  Royal  National  Hospital  for 
Consumption,  notwithstanding  the  unwieldiness  of  the  name,  is  a  most  beneficent 
institution,  situated  in  the  outskirts  of  Ventnor,  and  intended,  for  very  moderate 
terms,  to  give  a  home  in  that  charming  retreat  to  those  invalids  whose  means  are 
too  slender  to  allow  them  to  meet  the  expenses  generally  demanded  by  a  foreign 
trip  for  health.     To  such  this  noble  institution  presents  remarkable  advantages. 


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